Genetic Obsession
by I M Sterling
Summary: HG/SS AU. Take one brilliant magical geneticist. Add a snarky potion master who has recently been declared the sexiest wizard alive… bring to a hard boil and stir in trouble…. Rated M because we all know where this is heading...
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: I know it's been over a week since I posted anything new. Sorry! I've been busy working on several new stories. In fact, I was in the middle of a very nice Dramione story when Severus butted in and demanded that I write this. Pushy git. **_

_**We all know that I am not JK Rowling…that's why we call it 'fan fiction'. **_

_**Genetic Obsession**_

**Chapter One:**

Severus Snape was no longer accustomed to running from danger. He was a war hero, a former head of Hogwarts, and now the major shareholder of an international apothecary conglomerate. And yet, tonight, when he saw what he faced, he'd turned on his heel and beat a hasty retreat.

He could hear the noise of his pursuers as he moved noiselessly through the hotel. Thank goodness for his habit of constant vigilance. He ducked into an alcove and cast a quick disillusionment charm. He sighed in relief as the mob that had been pursuing him passed by.

"I saw that."

He turned, fearing the worst…

"Hermione."

She raised an eyebrow at him and laughed.

"Did the man who dared to spy on Lord Voldemort actually just run from a gaggle of rabid fan girls?"

"The Dark Lord would be preferable."

Granger had the decency to laugh. Enough years had passed to joke about the war...at least among those who fought in it.

"Oh yeah, signing autographs is a fate worse than an unspeakable curse…Poor things, I think they all had copies of that cover story that hack at Witch Weekly put together."

Severus sighed loudly. "Autographs were hardly what those _females_ had in mind. I have to carry a hip flask like Moody. I don't have to worry about Dark Wizards anymore; it's the damn love potions…"

The cheeky girl bit back a laugh.

He looked around and removed the spell.

"Congratulations on being invited as the keynote speaker."

Hermione blushed with pleasure.

"Thank you."

Ah…simple thanks. No giggling, no false modesty…

This was a woman who had accomplished a major magical feat, and she was proud of it…and rightly so.

He offered her his arm. She hesitated for an instant but took it gratefully.

"I must warn you, walking in tandem with me might be a bit… "

He smirked. "Dangerous?" Did she have her own mob to run from?

She nodded without a hint of humor.

"I've been getting a lot more hate mail than usual since I published my work…and…well…."

Snape wrinkled his nose in disgust. "And Golden Trio Groupies?"

She gave him a half-grin. "Are they still called groupies if they're men…well mostly men?"

Severus shook his head. "I have no idea my dear. Surely your famous wit can discourage those who press their advantage…?"

She cast a periscope charm as they neared the corner, to check for hidden fans. "If that worked I imagine that a few well-placed words would discourage _your_ fan base." She gave him a look that reminded him that she remembered his biting wit, even if some others were trying to forget. "Unfortunately, I have one…admirer in particular who has made a bit of a pest of himself lately…keeps sending me freshly butchered hearts…Harry's gone mad about the whole thing. I'm surprised that anyone can sneeze with all the added security at this conference." She sighed sadly as she peeked into the dining room. She was scheduled to speak in half an hour. "It's rather annoying."

Snape kept her hand on his arm when she would have disengaged. "Allow me to escort you to your table. It will not, of course, deter the most ardent of our 'fans' but it might make some of them less bold."

She nodded. "Less bold is a fair way to put it. Harry doesn't have this problem anymore…of course, he's married to Ginny, who can and does hex the living daylights out off anyone who looks at him twice."

"The former Miss Weasley is a formidable witch."

Hermione hung her head for a moment. He assumed that she was thinking about the unfortunate death of Ronald Weasley, almost ten years prior, at the battle of Hogwarts. The boy had shown unexpected talent (which was certainly never present in his school work) but killing curses did not differentiate. Severus himself had been nearly dead from snake venom at the time the boy had died.

Severus latched on to the first suitable subject that crossed his mind. "I saw that you were able to patent your Squib enhancement potion." He pulled her chair out and seated her before taking a seat next to her.

Hermione made a rude noise. "After three years of paperwork. The Ministry actively blocked something that was beneficial to hundreds of Squibs in Great Brittan, just because they didn't like my methods."

He liked the fire in her eyes when she talked about those fools.

"I imagine the pure blood families are more inclined to accept you now at any rate…?"

She snorted.

"Have you read my latest research?"

He shrugged. "No, since your latest research seemed to be aimed at foolish wand waving rather than potions…"

She grinned.

"Oh well, you'll love this. I perfected a few new spells for my latest work. One of them was a spell that _accurately _traces the magical lineage of a witch or wizard."

"Oh my." His smile was evil. "That's going to bring a few chickens home to roost. I assume that it threatened to expose any number of affairs?"

She nodded. "Not just that…I won't announce this until tonight, but my research clearly shows that most "muggle-borns" are anything but…most of them are half-bloods."

He held his breath for a moment. The ramifications of that were manifold. Of course, it meant what many had known all their lives…pureblooded wizards tended to…roam. Although it was an open secret that many had affairs with (and then obliviated) muggles, it was never discussed in a public forum. The pure blood dogma of not wedding Muggle-borns seemed much less prejudiced when one had to consider that a pure-blood might have many siblings about whom they knew little or nothing. Severus looked around the room.

"I think I'm pleased that Potter has assigned more security to you."

"It gets better…"

"What, do you have pictures of the Minister in his unmentionables that you are also planning to share?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"Oh no, I'm saving those for a special occasion." She laughed. He wondered if she really had gotten blackmail material on the new Minister of magic…considering that her Squib potion was finally available…

The lights dimmed. The room had filled while they had been lost in conversation.

Severus berated himself. He'd been so engrossed with what the younger witch he hadn't noticed the room filling with gests. No one had seen fit to disturb them. He wondered what they'd looked like during the intense discussion of her work.

Hermione leaned closer to him. "Well, you'll hear about it in a moment I suppose…wish me luck."

A paunchy wizard with a comb-over rambled on for several minutes while Hermione fidgeted with her napkin. He reached over and stilled her fingers. She smiled tentatively at him, and he felt the corner of his mouth tip up in response. A spotlight flared as they sat that way. She rose from her seat gracefully, and no one else was seated close enough to see her blush. He cringed internally when he considered what it must have looked like.

She reached the podium and did a non-verbal sonorous charm.

"Thank you Spell Master Wissler for that rousing introduction." Severus grinned and covered it by pretending to take a sip of the water on the table. His well-trained nose could not detect any potions or spells, so he allowed himself a small sip.

Hermione quickly launched into a presentation concerning her earlier work on the so-called magic gene…the single protein that determined whether a human was magical or muggle…

His jaw dropped as revelation after revelation was laid out in her precise prose…as she used her wand to project 3D images of the DNA sequences.

Several dozen reporters practically stampeded to the stage at the lights came back up.

"Spell Mistress Granger, if your research is viable…"

Hermione gave the reporter a hard look. "It is, and my experiments have been replicated by experts in the US and Russia respectively, a fact that was mentioned in your welcome packets."

The man continued like he didn't hear the derision in her voice. "Yes, well if your research is viable, will it lead to a cure for Muggles?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Do you have any idea of the chaos that would ensue if magical ability were released on the non-magical population? Much less the lengths you would have to go to initiate a project like that?"

The reporter smiled fiendishly. "So you have considered the possibility…"

"I'm considering the possibility of hexing you for deliberately misunderstanding me…"

Severus rose from his seat and offered Hermione his arm once more.

"I think that we all know that Spell Mistress Granger would never allow her research to be used for anything less than pristine purposes. Now, ladies, gentlemen, I believe that the bar is finally open…and I find that my glass is regrettably empty." His silken words attracted the notice of every reporter, and Hermione felt a stab of raw envy. She just didn't have the presence to bully the reporters properly.

The reporter from Witch Weekly elbowed several of her colleges out of the way. "Spell Mistress Granger…care to tell my readers how you landed a date with Potion master Snape? And is he as good in bed as previous occupants have claimed?"

Severus saw several shades of red. Anyone who was less oblivious than the reporter in front of him would have backed away at the look on his face, but the witch was too focused on Hermione (who was doing an excellent impression of a mute in a full body bind curse.)

The remaining reporters (who clearly had much better self-preservation instincts than the unfortunate reporter from the notorious gossip rag) cleared away like Snape had vanished them.

Snape finally got the reporter's attention.

"What was your name young woman?"

She sniffed. "Philomena Douglas-Dean, Witch Weekly."

He noted the name and continued in the dangerous purring voice that he'd used during his death-eater days. "Unless you have been living under a rock, as a reporter you can hardly expect us to believe that you do not realize that Spell-Mistress Granger and myself have known one another for many years."

_His voice was lovely, dark and deep…_

Hermione laughed at herself when she realized she was quoting poetry in her head in regard to Severus Snape's verbal decapitation of a member of the fourth estate. But if a panther could speak, she would imagine it would speak with his voice…the rich rolling syllables were so erotic that the content of his speech was hardly worth listening to. He could read a grocery list and get the same reaction from a woman. There must be something wrong with her…his voice **couldn't** be that sexy. Could it?

The reporter was a quivering mass of specialty robes and broken pride when her former Professor offered Hermione his arm once more.

She took the proffered arm, not sure where they were going, and unwilling to question it.

**Expect the next chapter in 24 hrs. I have about 14,000 words on this so far, I'm expecting it to run around 25,000 (don't quote me on that! We all know that length is subject to change.). **


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: Can I say that I am truly, truly flattered and humbled (though people who know me would doubt that the latter is possible) at the number of story alerts and favorites, not to mention all the people who have taken the time to review. I am so thankful that I've found a place to share my work with others. It fills a need I didn't even know I had. **_

_**Ok, enough mush…**_

_**Without further ado: on to Chapter Two….**_

**Chapter Two: **

"Do you have to deal with that sort of thing often?"

Severus looked at the petite witch on his arm.

"What sort of thing…?"

She made a noise in the back of her throat.

"Well I suppose that tells me everything I need to know. The nerve of that woman, asking me how you are in bed, just because you were kind enough to offer me your arm! Even Harry didn't have his love life explored in such a vulgar fashion…and women tossed knickers at him for two years after the Battle of Hogwarts."

Severus chuckled darkly. "They do seem rather intrusive about my preferences." He sounded absolutely disgusted.

"I'm sorry. I doubt the publicity was what you expected your life to be like when the war was finally over."

He looked down at her and his expression softened. "I hardly expected to live at all. But if I had anticipated outliving both masters, I would have expected little more than a cell at Azkaban. The way the Wizarding world has embraced me is…not unwelcome…it is simply more intrusive than I would prefer."

Hermione nodded. She noticed that they were heading away from the conference rooms and back into the main hotel.

"I suppose we'd better keep an eye out for you fan club again."

He snorted. "I'm just glad that none of them seem adept at curse breaking…otherwise there is no telling what I might find in my bed when I returned to my rooms."

He looked around as if noticing something for the first time.

"Where the devil is Potter anyway? Why did he leave you to deal with those reporters alone?"

Hermione placed her other hand on top of his arm. "Harry is organizing all the law enforcement units for the symposium. I'm sure he has things under control."

Snape nodded. "I'm sure he has the majority of things under control. I am happy that we ran into each other. This way, I can examine your rooms myself."

She laughed. "If you want to, I'd appreciate it. Otherwise Harry will make me call one of the Aurors in…I'd rather have you in my personal space…and Harry can't deny you're more adept than most of his staff. Would you like me to return the favor? Make sure that you don't have fan girls hiding under your bed?"

He could smell her hair. It was unusual…violets? Hyacinth? Floral and light with powdery amber notes underneath.

He felt like teasing her. "_My_ 'fan girls', as you call them, are unlikely to do more than try to compromise my already well-compromised virtue, whereas your admirer seems a bit more worrisome. "

She snorted. "That does seem somewhat less insidious than a kneezle's heart in a box…but …"

Severus was suddenly less inclined to tease.

"He sent you a kneezle's heart? Are you certain?"

"He's sent me the hearts of several creatures. Harry had the aurors check out the origins…the flying pig's heart looked very human…"

There was a something he should remember…something he'd read about many years before…something dark and strange….

They finally arrived at her door and she removed her enchantments. He nodded his approval. They were well done; the outer layer looked like a very common set of enchantments…underneath was a booby trap that wouldn't allow even a house elf to cross her threshold uninvited.

"Impressive."

She blushed. "Well, I did learn a thing or two after I left Hogwarts."

He pulled out his wand as she opened the door, moving her away from the entry as he ghosted through the room.

"I don't think this is really necessary…"

He opened the door to her closet.

"You don't?"

There was a small, heart shaped satin box floating mid-air…the kind that served as a box for a ring, or perhaps earrings.

Severus frowned as her cast spell after spell.

"As far as I can tell there is nothing actively harmful in the box itself…though Mr. Potter may want to…"

She flipped off the lid quickly, with an air of someone getting something unpleasant over with.

"At least this one is smaller."

Snape glared at her. "You might have waited."

"For what? Waiting just makes it worse, especially when I already know what it is."

She glanced down at the tiny, perfect heart in the box.

"Pixie?"

Severus nodded. "I think so. If you look closely, you can see that it has larger major arteries…flying requires more blood to be in circulation…" He was babbling, which was unlike him. But the idea of someone reaching this level of obsession and smooth violence in regard to this particular witch…he was a man who understood obsession. He didn't like to think where this was headed.

"Have all of the hearts been so prominently…displayed?"

Hermione nodded. "In one way or another. It's odd. The first one was nailed to my garden fence…it was still dripping blood when I found it."

She shuddered. "Now that I think about it each heart has been…carefully displayed to get a certain reaction. This one pulls at my heart because the victim was so small…it's the neatest and cleanest one yet."

She didn't poke the small organ. "If he were a muggle, I'd be shocked. Normally this kind of behavior starts neat and tidy like this heart and ends up brutal and bloody…"

"Send a patronus to Potter. I have a few spells I want to do around the room, try to figure out how anyone got in here. They did search the room before you came, correct?"

Hermione smiled at his tone, which reminded her forcefully of her time at Hogwarts: specifically, it reminded her of every time he'd asked a 'dunderhead' if they had blown something up because they missed a simple step.

"Of course. An Auror met me at the front lobby, brought me to the room, and then waited while I set up my wards. I sent him back to Harry before I found you hiding from fan girls in the hall."

The corner of Severus' mouth twitched…she wouldn't have seen it if she hadn't been hoping that her comment would cut the tension. In a matter of moments he'd reverted from the largely relaxed Severus Snape to the man who'd spent twenty years as a double agent…and that was her fault.

She sent her Patronus.

"Severus, thank you for being here, but this isn't really your problem you know…"

He ignored her completely and continued casting spells. She sighed and sat down on one of the scratchy chairs. It had to be the most uncomfortable chair she'd ever sat in. Was the thing actually made of horsehair? She shook her head, knowing that she was distracting herself from important matters with minutiae.

Harry knocked on the door. She opened it, wand in hand. Harry's brows rose slightly at the sight of their former Professor in Hermione's room, but he didn't say anything.

"Found another one?"

Snape pointed to the tiny box, but his wand didn't still.

Harry looked at the heart with a worried frown.

"I want you to cancel the rest of the conference Hermione. Publish the work without the speaking engagement."

She huffed. "And how exactly, do you expect me to get funding for my next projects? You know how things are at the Ministry."

Harry frowned fiercely. "Do a one on one interview…I know that three of the major publications are always after you…"

She snorted. "Only because it gives them the opportunity to make me look like an idiot. Did you even read that piece they did when I published the first of my Squib articles? The one that insinuated that I had more hair than wit?"

Severus laughed. Harry and Hermione turned and looked at him in disbelief. He waved a hand at Hermione's luxuriously full head of curling hair. "For some people, that might be an insult…but even if you did have more hair than wit, it still leaves you with more wit than any of them…"

Hermione smiled a little. It had been awhile since anyone had brought up the fact that she had once been a bushy headed know-it-all.

Harry was doing his own version of diagnostics on the tiny heart.

"I can't let this crazy man control what I say and where I go Harry."

Potter sighed. "Fine. I will assign…"

"I think not Potter." Severus was frowning. "Have you considered the fact that one of your Aurors would have both the skills and the opportunity to do this?"

Harry bristled. "We run all kinds of evaluations…"

Snape raised a dark brow. "As did the Dark Lord Potter, and I still managed to fool him. Somehow I don't think you have quite the same excruciating screening process."

Hermione sat back down in her chair and slumped slightly. "That's it then. I'll pack…Harry if you could let the chairman know why I won't be able to continue my speaking engagement…"

Severus stilled her with a warm hand on her arm.

"I don't think that we have to go as far as all that. I was merely pointing out that assigning some random Auror might cause more harm than good. I will gladly escort you…you might have to put up with some snide remarks from Witch Weekly…"

"After you terrified that poor girl this evening?"

"One thing about reporters, they tend to be resilient."

Harry was nodding to himself.

"This will work beautifully. Snape still scares the knickers off the better half of the Wizarding world, and we know we can trust him. Since he isn't an Auror it might pass for a friendship rather than overt protection, and we might still have a chance of catching this little bastard before he brings you another heart for your collection….do you remember how Crookshanks used to leave mice in your bathtub?"

Hermione coughed a little.

"Um, yes…"

Harry shook his head slightly. "I know it sounds weird, but this reminds me of that…like the person involved is trying to woo you with the best gifts he can think of…and has no idea that a dead rodent in a bathtub _wouldn't_ be exactly to your taste."

Severus looked at Harry. "I would feel better if Hermione moved to my rooms tonight. I can extend the suite an extra bedroom so she will have her privacy, but this suite has already been compromised…" Harry agreed.

Hermione nodded, and pointedly ignored the little wisp of…something she wouldn't name…that she felt as being invited to share Severus' rooms for the night. It was a sensible suggestion.

She flicked her wand at her luggage which packed itself and shrunk within seconds. There were some days when she still got a little thrill from really simple magic. She scooped up her shrunken suitcases.

Harry was grinning at both of them. "You do realize that if I ever told anyone about this little arrangement, they would tease you both mercilessly."

Severus sniffed. "I highly doubt you know anyone has the temerity to tease me."

Harry smiled. "By the way, I saw Professor McGonagall last week, she said if I saw you on this trip I should tell you that she sends her love, and wanted you to know that the Severus Snape card from the chocolate Frogs has recently been bewitched…something about a frock coat and a strip tease."

Severus snorted and muttered darkly about hormonal teenagers.

Harry gave him a pitying look. "Who said anything about teenagers? My money is on Professor Brown."

The look on his face was priceless.

**AN: Just a short note…Chapter Three is a short one, so expect two chapters up in the next 24 hrs. Just my way of saying 'thank you'. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: This is a really short chapter, but I'll make it up to you by posting Chapter Four when I get off work tonight! **

**Also: One of the reviews asked about the term 'Spell Master' or 'Spell Mistress'… I stole the idea from Rowling calling Snape a Potions Master in some of the books…in this case it indicates a high level of skill and/or education (in Charms/Transfiguration/Enchantments) much like a PHD…sorry if it confused anyone! I wrote a paragraph explaining it at some point, but it was boring so I guess I erased it when I was editing. Lol! **

**Chapter Three**

Harry left them to walk to the other side of the hotel alone. If Hermione Granger and Severus Snape were in danger from walking the halls of a hotel, things were a lot worse than he thought.

Not for the first time, he sincerely wished that he could have played Quidditch for a living. Being the head of the Auror office was too much work, too many hours, and too many headaches…and that was just the paperwork. He'd quit, if he trusted anyone else to do the job.

Kingsley Shagbolt's nephew Julius was already in the suite that they'd turned into temporary headquarters when the conference started. There were notable witches and wizards from all over the world attending, and he wanted everything to be flawless…a heart in a box and his best friend in some sort of danger was not what he had in mind.

He used a charm to activate the auror's badges, so they'd know he was holding a meeting. A few had orders to remain at their posts so only the 'rovers' would show up. They filed into the room quickly as Harry put the tiny box back on the table.

"Hermione got another one."

Dwarvish peeked into the box. "Pixie." He looked at Harry. "You've checked it for spells?"

Harry nodded. "Snape did, can't ask for anything more than that."

After removing the heart a tiny scroll was found in a false bottom of the box.

"_My darling Hermione will never touch this heart Potter, so I know who will read this. She's mine. If you want the next heart I send to be your wife's then please continue to thwart my efforts to woo my maiden…" _

Harry hissed and immediately sent a patronus to Ginny. "Bastard."

Shagbolt's nephew tittered. "I don't think this is anyone who's actually met Hermione; who the hell calls the brightest witch of the age a 'maiden'? They couldn't be anyone who has seen her spell work…"

Another Auror, Henson, laughed. "Or been on the wrong end of it. I didn't announce my presence clearly enough the first time Potter sent me out to her place to pick up a heart…I was in a full body-bind quicker than you could say Dumbledore."

Harry nodded. "She's nothing to be trifled with, and I have Snape watching her for the moment."

Martin Greengrass frowned. "That playboy who is always in Witch Weekly?"

Greengrass must be younger than Harry had thought.

"Snape's powerful and ruthless, with a bag of tricks that kept him alive in a battle against Voldemort himself."

Martin shrugged. "I thought that was mostly him sneaking around."

Potter's voice cooled considerably. "Without him 'sneaking around' as you put it, we'd probably all be working for Voldemort. Or some of you would, I'd be dead." Harry's face, normally so pleasant, was ice cold.

He glared until the younger man looked down. "Hermione is safe so we can focus on finding this person. Shagbolt, I want you to take the box to the Ministry and have them run every bloody test they can think of on it. Bring in the Unspeakables if you need to. Henson, take Rodgers and Davis and check out the room. I want to know how the hell someone got past her spells. Neither Snape nor I found any evidence of forced entry…that **bothers** me."

Henson nodded. "Did you move her to a new room then?"

Harry smirked to himself as he pictured mentioning all of this to Professor McGonagall at the next Order meeting. He knew he'd better be out of range of their spell work when he did, but it was going to be brilliant. "She's safe for the moment. No need to share her exact location until we have to. Ok people. Get to work!" His staff fled. Harry wasn't above assigning stragglers to dirty jobs…a trick he'd picked up from his years with the redoubtable Professor Snape in fact….

**AN: I hate writing a scene without Snape in it, but it had to be done. No worries though. Chapter Four is full of Severus/Hermione goodness! **


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's note: Have I mentioned how much I adore all of you guys who review? Several of you caught me misspelling Kingsley's last name as Shagbolt! Was that an accident? Yes. But… I'm leaving it that way it is because I get a kick out of it...**_

_**One other note: For the purposes of this story, Ron Weasley died in the Battle of Hogwarts…there is a very short mention of it in the first chapter…I tend to kill Ron a lot. I don't have anything against him but I don't like him with Hermione, so I just kill him at random times before the story starts. I know, I know, I'm a twisted woman…but since JK Rowling allows us to play in her sandbox, I'm going to write what I want…so Ron's dead and Kingsley's last name is Shagbolt! Onward to Chapter Four. **_

**Chapter Four**

Severus noted the presence of some of his 'fan club' as Hermione had termed them, but they didn't dare cross the line with her on his arm…he didn't let I show on his face but he was relieved. He wondered what she would think if she knew he was comparing her to a patronus in the presence of dementors.

He would never admit it, but he had no clue how he should handle such open admiration…especially since it wasn't based on anything close to reality. It seemed that having a beautiful, intelligent, accomplished witch on his arm was one remedy for the unwanted attention. He'd have to keep that in mind.

She watched the traffic in the hallway as he took down his extremely complicated wards.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief once they entered the room.

"Did you see something suspicious?"

She smirked at him. "Well, I thought it was entirely suspicious that the entire hallway is filled with nothing but women. I wonder if the hotel charged extra for the rooms near yours."

He swore under his breath. "Probably. I'll need to have my office draw up some contracts to avoid this sort of thing from now on. It's getting rather ridiculous."

Hermione nodded absently as she used an extension charm to add a room to the hotel suite.

"I imagine that part of the problem is that you are so relentlessly private about your personal life that it has appeared that you've been single all these years."

He sniffed as he transfigured a bed for her out of a silk handkerchief. "I have been single all these years. I date occasionally, but I don't have the capacity to trust easily…and eventually women tend to want more than I'm willing to give."

She nodded but didn't comment, she was putting the final touches on an additional bathroom.

He was tired when they finished, but rather pleased. 'Her' bedroom was off the sitting room, and it was rather nice. He took her arm and guided her to the couch. He called out 'Pepper!"

A small house elf dressed in a neat tea towel with the hotel's insignia on it appeared.

"How may Pepper assist you sir?"

"Dinner for two, served here in the room, if you please."

The little elf eyed Hermione with approval. "Pepper will bring it. Were you aware sir, that there is a female clinging to the outside of the hotel, right outside your window?"

Hermione tossed back the drapes to reveal the blasted reporter from Witch Weekly…a least until the woman cast a hasty disillusionment charm. Hermione cast a spell to check, but it appeared that the witch was gone…at least for the moment.

Severus' swearing was no longer confined to under his breath. He furiously cast charms at the window to prevent anyone from seeing or hearing what was going on inside.

"Thank you Pepper. Dinner?"

"It will be served momentarily Sir, Miss…"

"Merlin's gallstones."

Hermione raised her brows.

"They're going to be wretched to you tomorrow."

She sniffed. "As if I read that rubbish. I learned my lesson fifth year, with Rita Skeeter."

He laughed at the memory. "Ah yes…I always wondered what you'd gotten on her…I could tell you were blackmailing the woman…"

She snickered. "She was an un-registered animagus."

Snape laughed but didn't comment as Pepper was back with a large dinner for them.

Hermione raised her domed lid and sighed. "Thank you Pepper, this was exactly what we needed."

Pepper's ears wiggled happily with approval. "Thank you miss. Potion Master…there are several young ladies that are rather intently trying to break the charms on your door. They are under the impression that you are not in the room.

Severus growled. "It was so much easier when I could assume that anyone who touched my wards was a death eater who was trying to kill me."

He sounded so mournful that Hermione laughed.

She got up, opened the door to the squealing protests of the girls on the other side. She raised a single elegant brow. "Haven't you anything better to do?"

The girls (well not girls exactly, they were all in their twenties) fell all over themselves and were out of the hall in seconds. Hermione cast a repelling charm on the door.

"I'm afraid you won't be getting much company with this on your door…"

Severus grinned. "I think I have all the company I need. Thank you." He turned to the elf. "Thank you for your help Pepper. I will be certain to mention it to the hotel staff…and if you could keep an eye on the room?"

"Yes sir, Pepper will be happy to sir…" The elf squeaked with delight and left.

Severus returned to his meal and poured a glass of the lovely red wine the elf had provided with the food.

"So, tell me how long the heart-in-a-box has been going on…"

She sighed.

"The first heart was nailed to the fence six weeks ago. At first we thought they were threats, because of my research…"

Severus swallowed his steak. "What led you to believe that they were not?"

Hermione took a small sip of her wine. "The kneezel's heart was the first to come in a box…there was a…love letter, of sorts, included."

Severus leaned forward. "And have there been any other missives?"

Hermione shrugged. "I haven't the faintest idea. I give them straight over to Harry."

Severus chuckled. "Excuse me. I never thought I would be grateful to have the kind of…fans… that I have…"

She joined him. "I'm not sure I'd trade places with you though."

"Yes, some of them are rather forward."

Hermione nearly choked on her wine. Calling those…women… _forward_ was like saying the surface of the sun could get a tad bit warm. "I was out of the country when the first wave of publicity set in…I'm afraid I don't know how all those rumors started."

Severus sighed. "An unfortunate comment I made while leaving the Ministry one day, a few months after the war. The papers were there because I was giving testimony about a death eater, and a rather attractive and bold young witch grabbed me." He raised his brows significantly. Hermione covered her mouth. "I removed her hand and might have mentioned that she needed to go back to primary school, and perhaps a proper spanking would improve her manners…I didn't give it a second thought…and I certainly didn't mean it the way it's been portrayed."

He watched the younger witch as laughter bubbled out of her eyes.

"Oh my!"

He chuckled and raised his glass. "Oh my indeed. While I do not object to a certain amount of attention from the fairer sex…"

She nodded. "No one likes feeling like an object…even a highly contested object."

He topped off his glass.

"There speaks the voice of experience if I'm not mistaken."

She shrugged. "I'm lucky, in a way. My 'romance' with Ron was blown completely out of proportion compared to what we really shared… most of my 'fan mail' came from rather sensitive young men who are more likely to threaten to hang themselves if I don't love them than men who meant me any harm. I get a fresh batch every time I publish my findings, but the love letters have never come with internal organs before."

She finished her wine. He moved to refill her glass but she stopped him. "I'm a light-weight and I don't often indulge. Normally it's just a cup of tea and a good book for me."

Severus nodded and flicked his wand at the tea set. He poured her a cup and continued to drink his wine.

"I suppose it isn't surprising that we've been cast in these roles. Potter was the 'chosen one', the fact that he settled down quickly after Hogwarts was almost expected. Draco ended up with the mantel of rich playboy, I was awarded the title of sexiest Wizard alive: to my eternal shock and profound dismay…and you…"

Her shoulders sagged slightly. "I am the perpetual insufferable know-it-all best friend…I know…"

He looked at her. "I would not have used those terms, though I'm not sure that the ones I _would_ use would bring you any comfort. It's all a mirage…well, everything except my godson…he really isn't as discriminating as he should be when it comes to willing witches who wish to share his…time." She chuckled, as she was meant to. He was trying to cheer her up.

"Your story is heartbreaking. Muggle-born girl of great intelligence and power befriends the chosen one, fights bravely by his side against the darkest forces in our world, only to have her reward snatched away… People have put you on a pedestal, like some sort of virgin high priestess…aloof and untouchable."

Hermione looked very touchable, she was blushing. "I think I prefer to be seen as an academic rather than a priestess…but it not's like we get to choose our roles. I would have chosen to let someone else save the world and have the glory of it, while I stayed home with the people I loved safe and sound."

Severus nodded. It was more than time to change the subject. "So tell me, what is this new research that you intend to fill your days with after the conference?"

She grinned. "Normally I wouldn't be able to talk about it, but since I don't have the funding yet…" She shrugged. "It's more of the same really…I'm going to continue my work on the genetics side, and invent spells to help me as I go along. I've _got _to do something about the lack of computers…thankfully I have a wizard on staff who is mechanically inclined, and willing to look into some sort of magical data storage retrieval. Handwritten files drive me mad…"

He just watched her, basking in her obvious enthusiasm.

He thought long and hard about many things before he went to bed that night. Before he finally fell asleep, he had reached a decision….

_**AN: Expect Chapter Five up tomorrow! Thanks to all of you for reading. **_


	5. Chapter 5

**Another short Chapter without enough Severus/Hermione in it! But it had to be done. I'll post Chapter Six late this evening. **

**Chapter Five:**

_Hermione:_

_I had an errand to run this morning, but I will return in time for your first speaking engagement. Please call Pepper to bring your breakfast when you awaken. Potter is aware that I had to step out and he should have men posted outside the room. Do not, for the love of little green apples, leave the room without either Potter or myself. _

_S_

He left the note after he'd made his arrangements, and went to the hotel lobby. A handful of floo powder and a moment later and he was walking into the offices that he might technically own, but very rarely saw.

Draco Malfoy was sitting at his desk, even as early as it was. The boy had grown up a bit in the past ten years. He worked hard, lived hard, drank hard, and pursued more women than Severus cared to think about.

Draco saw him come in and flipped open the social pages of the Daily Prophet. He raised one blond eyebrow in a gesture that made the two men seem almost kin, though they shared no blood.

Severus missed Draco's father with an ache that most people reserved for brothers. Lucius and Narcissa had given him the closest thing he'd ever known to family. In return, he had protected them as best he could during the rise and fall of the Dark Lord…but it hadn't been enough to keep Lucius from dying in a cell in Azkaban.

Severus wrenched his mind away from such maudlin matters as he examined the page. The wizarding photo showed that he was clearly protecting the smaller witch as he offered her his arm. He didn't bother reading the caption.

"Let me know if I need to buy a wedding gift…" Draco's voice held a great deal of good humor.

"They were about to eat her alive. Brilliant, the girl might be but…"

Draco smirked. "She wouldn't know subtle if it bit her on her…"

He broke off the sentence after a pointed look from his godfather.

Severus didn't bother to pull his punches with his godson. "How much do you think the Ministry could have made off her patents if they'd been funded by a private organization?"

Draco's eyes widened. "Are you thinking of luring her away from the Ministry? Do you think you can get her to agree to it?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. First I need to make sure she survives the conference."

Draco smirked, thinking that he was referring to the reporters. Severus did not disabuse him of the notion. "Yeah, that reporter from Witch Weekly is deadly…and willing to do anything for a headline." The idiot boy was practically purring.

"Careful where you put that wand of yours…there are a few things that not even our potions can get rid of."

Draco coughed delicately. "Noted. So…Granger?"

"She needs funding, she's not making what she should off of her patents, and the Ministry is yanking her around…I wanted to discuss it with you before I brought it up, the initial investment could be large."

Draco eyed the man who had allowed him to renew his family fortunes after the war. "There's a significant margin of profit to be considered as well."

Severus nodded and brought up the more important point he'd wanted to make. "She would be off limits of course." He raised a dark brow to his godson.

Draco raised his brow in return. "To both of us?"

Severus chuckled. "To anyone who does not have the girl in his hotel room at the moment."

Draco swore and laughed. It had been some time since Severus had seen that particular smile on Draco's face. He was glad to see it, though wary of its source. The boy looked at him with no small amount of awe. "How did you do it?"

Severus shrugged his elegant shoulders. "I simply took advantage when an opportunity was put in my path. A rather ardent admirer is stalking her…another matter to tidy up."

Draco chuckled. "Someone stalking what's yours? I'd like to be a fly on the wall when you have the opportunity to tidy up." He made some quick notes as he considered all of the factors involved, departments he would have to involve. Best to keep it quiet, even within the company…

"I'll have the papers drawn up." Severus nodded and walked toward the door.

"Sev?"

Severus turned.

"I've seen that look in your eyes before…possessive, a little obsessed...are you sure I shouldn't start looking for that wedding gift?"

Severus didn't bother to comment. He huffed out of the office, mission complete. If he offered Hermione a place at their company, Draco would not seduce the girl…which considering Draco's proclivity for seduction, was saying something. Making the boy think that Snape had already claimed her was simply good business…protecting a potential investment. Hermione Granger would not work for a man who seduced her then threw her away…

It had nothing to do with actually staking a claim to the witch against the only man who might be able to best him...


	6. Chapter 6

_**AN: Note to other aspiring authors…**__**do not do what I did in this chapter! **_

_**The first thousand words are what we call an 'info-dump' and it's one of the seven deadly sins. I had a lot of info that I needed all of you to know at this point and I'm editing chapter by chapter as I go along, so I couldn't go back and sprinkle it in chapters 1-4 the way I should have! Sorry about that…do not do it in your own writing. I'm docking myself house points as we speak…**_

**Chapter Six:**

Hermione woke up in a bed that was several grades above the standard hotel fair, even in a wizarding hotel. The silk sheets caressed her body and she couldn't help but remember that Severus had transfigured this soft, welcoming bed for her. She blushed slightly at her foolishness…but it was hard not to remember when the sheets were the exact shade of Slytherin green that his handkerchief had been…and when they still smelled subtly like the Potions Master. The bed was so inviting, in fact, that she was tempted to have a bit of a lie in…but she was looking forward to seeing Severus again this morning, she headed to the bathroom without delay.

He wasn't in the room when she walked into the 'sitting room' area of the suite (it was larger than the norm for a hotel, but still somehow managed to give the impression of being rather cramped). She found his note, laughed to herself at the tone, and was grateful that he had put his own plans on hold to go out of his way to protect her. He'd done that a lot for her during the war…and she had been one of the first to protect him, going back for his broken body in the shrieking shack directly after the battle, finding (to her shock) that he was alive…taking him to St Mungo's after transfiguring his appearance so she wouldn't have to explain why they were healing a death eater…

Snape himself had concocted the potion that had originally saved his life, a combination of a powerful coagulant and anti-venom for that bloody snake's poison, brewed in secret from venom samples taken from Arthur Weasley's robes. Hermione had been impressed by the man's brilliance all over again.

Nagini's venom was incredibly interesting. It contained both a neurotoxin and a powerful anti-coagulant. It paralyzed the prey, leaving them near death, but did not kill…and the anti-coagulant caused blood loss…effectively giving the snake time to devour its prey while that prey was still technically alive, while assuring that the snake neither lost the prey nor was harmed by it. Damn snake had been as nasty a piece of work as her master.

After a round of healing drafts and blood replenishing potions, she'd taken Severus back to Hogwarts to recover, secretly meeting with McGonagall and Harry. The Weasleys were a bit hurt that she didn't turn to them while grieving for Ron, but she couldn't bear it. Nursing Severus was a relief. He was much himself again within a week, embarrassed at her presence in his life and in his rooms… When she felt as though she was truly in his way, she went to him one last time, kissed his cheek, and left for Australia.

She had given her parents a need to be 'out in the bush' when she sent them there, and she deliberately made sure that she did not know their whereabouts…if death eaters had captured her, she might have withstood torture to save Harry and Ron, but she was a woman who knew her limits…she wouldn't have been able to watch them torture and kill her parents because of her…not if there was a way to stop it. The name change, distance, and isolation combined with their own ignorance to protect them, but it also hid them from Hermione for weeks and weeks. They didn't even have bank accounts in their own names anymore (she'd instilled in them a level of caution that would make hard-core spies proud).

When she did finally find them and restored their memories, she wondered at first if it wouldn't have been kinder to leave them as they were. They still loved her of course, but they were deeply hurt and just wouldn't accept that their ignorance of her was their best protection…or perhaps, they couldn't accept that their little girl had risked her life in a thousand different ways over the past year, and there was nothing that they could have done to protect her. She'd lived with them in the outback for nearly a year, rebuilding their trust while they made visits to far flung towns via a small airplane that her father had actually learned to fly. Being roving dentists actually agreed with them.

Once her relationship with her parents was on its way to recovery, she returned to England and began several projects for the Ministry. She was a war hero, and they practically pushed funding at her to keep her. She had her own section in the department of mysteries, a small staff, and she'd made a few minor breakthroughs.

Things started going downhill five years ago when she took it into her head to address the Squib question. The very existence of Squibs made the entire Wizarding world squirm uncomfortably, and Hermione couldn't help but think that the reason the issue hadn't been examined was that wizards tended to address it with such fear and loathing.

Squibs plus muggle genetics equaled a very nasty reception from the Powers that Be. Kingsley was no longer Minister of Magic by that time , Harry was head of the Aurors but still learning how to swim with the sharks at the Ministry. Hermione's status as a war hero was beginning to mean less and less. Aggravated at constantly being blocked, she had taken a leave of absence to work on her own.

For nearly half a year, she did her research outside the Ministry and began booking speaking engagements. The Ministry had fallen all over itself to get her research back under its control. She'd allowed them talk her into returning. But there were conditions. She was no longer considered an Unspeakable. She could patent her own work . She was allowed to speak at events concerning her work…

She settled back into her routine at the Ministry, but things had changed. After breaking all the unspoken rules, she found her efforts actively squashed by various departments. The potion to 'cure' Squibs was a good example. She didn't even know why they had blocked it (besides the fact that it proved her right and gave magical power to a group that had been traditionally abused…it wasn't uncommon to leave Squibs in muggle orphanages…and some of the fiercest bigots drowned them, like pure-bred puppies that came out with the wrong coloring.) She had to generate public support every time she needed funding for a new project. It was depressing, and it sapped her creativity. She knew she was going to have to find a way to change things…

She shook off her woolgathering and called Pepper.

"What can Pepper get for you this morning Miss?"

"Tea, eggs, and toast…and thank you Pepper. Have there been any issues this morning?"

The house elf shook his little head. "No miss. The wizards at the door have kept the females at bay for the moment. The younger one is muttering about Sir in a way Pepper can not approve of."

Hermione chuckled. Severus was attractive, no doubt, she wasn't surprised if there were a few men who were jealous…but she suspected that most of his admirers would be shocked to really know the man.

She was biting the toast when the black haired potion master returned.

She gave him a close-mouthed smile as she finished chewing.

"Did your fan club make an appearance this morning?"

He chuckled. "I'm afraid not. Most of them seem to be night owls, which was one reason that I chose to run my errand early this morning."

"Is it like this often?"

"Like what?"

"Do they show up at your home and camp out on the front lawn?"

He laughed. "No. My home has many of the same enchantments on it that Hogwarts does. I lived far too long as a spy to be comfortable with anything less. No, the crowd of gawkers only shows up when it's publicized that I will be attending something. This conference is the first time I've given them notice of my actions in the last year, so it's worse this time." He sighed.

Hermione gestured to the tea pot and he nodded. She poured his cup and added sugar without asking. It was strange to him that after all these years that she remembered such an insignificant detail. She'd only nursed him for a week. True, she had poured endless cups of tea during that week as he barked and grumbled about being mollycoddled…he'd finally driven her away after a week of his constant foul mood.

He'd seen her only briefly from time to time since the war ended. He'd actually helped her a bit with the Squib potion, when they'd ran into each other at Diagon Alley one afternoon. A meal, a discussion of her work and his, and a slightly awkward exit…nothing much to talk about.

There had been a dance at one of the Ministry balls, perhaps three years ago…perhaps closer to three and a half years…he normally made Draco attend the blasted things, but Draco had been in Paraguay…negotiating an exclusive export contract with a buxom witch at their Ministry. Severus had found it necessary to attend the function, and he'd been pleasantly surprised by the fact that Miss Granger (as he'd referred to her at the time) was there. They had spent most of the evening in discussion once again, and he'd seen her sigh as a waltz was struck.

"_Am I keeping you from the dance floor?"_

"_Not at all. It's unlikely that I would be dancing."_

"_But do you want to?" _

"_Only if you will stop referring to me as Miss Granger." _

He had pulled her to the floor. She had been sweet in his arms, moving effortlessly under his direction, completely trusting him. He'd enjoyed it more than he should have. He didn't mind the glares that no few of the officials were giving him (he thought it was rather funny) but robes had the damndest tendency to highlight an erection rather than to hide it (at least when the erection was of any reasonable size)…and he didn't want her to know where his thoughts had turned. So he had allowed himself a few more minutes of her company, and he had left.

There had been nothing quite as intimate between them as those two moments. He'd brushed her hand at another Ministry function (he was more likely to attend them these days), he had caught her elbow once when she nearly fell on a patch of ice outside the order's headquarters. He'd taken to sitting next to her at the semi-annual meetings…(the remaining members met twice a year to discuss anything that might be a problem…that part normally took a quarter of an hour…reminiscing about past glory and old friends that were no longer present often took half the night).

Not quite a friendship…nothing overt. But apparently more than enough for him to feel comfortable with her in his rooms while he slept…and he NEVER allowed anyone to be near him while he slept. He simply couldn't trust others enough for that.

He finished his tea and shook himself out of his reverie.

"I believe that you mentioned that you are speaking at the transfiguration rooms at eleven?"

She nodded.

"Perhaps you would also consider coming when I speak this afternoon? I would prefer for you to remain with me during the day."

She took his arm. His manners were a century and a half out of date, but she found that she appreciated them. She didn't need the support of his arm, but she liked it. He was warm, and she liked the pressure of his body against hers. It was a bit distracting when his arm occasionally brushed the outside of her breast, but she was well able to cope…even if it did make her knickers the slightest bit damp.

**AN: Chapter Seven tomorrow! **


	7. Chapter 7

_**First of all, I apologize that it took so long to upload this. Work was brutal today.**_

_**Secondly: I am awed, amazed, and humbled (there is that word again…but it is true) at the attention this story has garnered. Truth: I've worked toward being a professional writer for the last four years, but I never really imagined how it would feel to know that so many people actually READ what I wrote. It feels amazing by the way. Like a sugar high and hang gliding all rolled up into one. **_

_**Thank you. **_

**Chapter Seven:**

The cameras were the worst part of the conference…

She tried to adjust her eyes, but the flashing bulbs continued. _Wish they would bloody well find a way to take pictures without the flash! _She couldn't see a blasted thing, and even after all these years that made her feel distinctly uncomfortable and vulnerable.

"Spell-Mistress Granger, do you have any plans for furthering your research?"

"Of course."

The reporter nodded and followed up. "Can you tell us exactly what your next area of research will be? How soon do you expect it to be before Britain has the Squib Enhancement potion available? The ministry in America is handing it out free of charge."

Hermione sighed. _Of course they were. _"I really can't discuss the details with the press at this time." Because if she did she was sure that the phrase 'blithering idiots' would slip out in regard to their own Ministry, and that tended to set people's teeth on edge….

"Word at the Ministry is that your next budget is still waiting for approval, any comment?"

"No."

"Is it true that you were romantically involved with Severus Snape while you were a student at Hogwarts?"

"What?"

Hermione looked down at the annoying witch. Philomena Douglas-Dean…was that her name? She was utterly forgettable. Hermione could just make out the other woman's outline after a fresh round of flashing lights.

"I believe the question was self-explanatory Miss Granger."

Hermione snorted. She took it back. The cameras were bad…the reporters were worse. She didn't bother to play nice.

"In case you've had major head trauma and don't remember correctly, Potion Master Snape was somewhat occupied, along with everyone else, fighting Voldemort. He hardly had time to go about seducing students when he was busy saving their lives." Her voice dripped irony.

She dismissed the woman and turned her attention to another reporter. "Next question."

Severus was proud of her. She wasn't used to that sort of intrusive personal question, but she'd handled it nicely. Her voice was not defensive, her face was open…she looked completely honest. Of course, she was being honest, which always helped. He had not even considered a relationship of any sort (even a passing physical fling) during those years after Voldemort returned. It would have been too dangerous, both for himself and any partner he might have met. It wasn't the least of what he'd given up (he had always been a sensual man, and he had missed the release of being in the arms of a willing witch) but it wasn't the worst of his sacrifices during those years either.

The questions were coming slower and the reporters' eyes were glazing over as Hermione delved into details of her research that they couldn't possibly comprehend or appreciate. He walked up and offered her his arm once more.

"Ladies, gentlemen…I'm afraid that the Spell Mistress has an important lunch date in a few moments."

The snide witch (what was her name?) from the gossip rag perked up.

"Who is she meeting for lunch?"

"A plate of sandwiches. We can't have a war hero starving, now can we?"

He swept her out of the room.

Hermione sighed deeply as they approached their rooms.

"Did I assume too much? You looked ready to get away…"

She grinned up at him. Even in heels the little witch was nearly a foot shorter than he was.

"No, I just envy you. I've never been able to make a proper exit."

He was startled into a laugh. "Oh I don't know. I can think of a time or two when your exits have been rather remarkable." She knew he was talking about saving Harry from Voldemort at Godrick's Hollow all those years ago.

"Unfortunately, it's considered bad form to hex the press."

"A pity, isn't it?"

She loved the little hidden smile that he gave her sometimes. It consisted of a slight curve at the corner of his lip, and a twinkle in his eye. It wasn't something a casual observer would pick up on. It felt…intimate.

The aurors were not at their door, and there were a few narrow-eyed females who were glaring at them (correction, not at them, just at her) from doorways and alcoves along the hall as he took down his wards so they could enter.

"I'm glad that there's only two more days of this nonsense." She shuddered as she slipped gratefully into the room.

"Tired of me already?"

She laughed. "No, and I'm going to demand that you keep in touch this time."

He didn't really know what to say to that, so he called for lunch.

They were halfway through the soup when he decided to ask her. He hadn't intended to just yet…but he somehow did not want to wait. Entering a business relationship would give him a right to see to her safety and help her deal with the press in a way that he was afraid she might resent if he was merely an old friend. Of course, it would complicate anything else that might occur, and that thought gave him pause. He found himself quite willing to see where the building tension between them might lead…if making a verbal claim on the witch offered her one layer of protection from the world, making a physical claim on her would add another. Of course, the actual claiming would be rather enjoyable as well.

He wasn't a stupid man, nor was he an unreasonably modest one. He didn't really understand his appeal to females, he certainly hadn't had it in his teens or early twenties, but as he'd aged (and grew into what he considered his rather regrettable nose) he'd noticed that he did seem to appeal to a certain kind of woman. Hermione Granger was not that sort of woman per se…but she was a _passionate_ woman. He was experienced enough (more than enough) to have little doubt that he could bring that passion to the forefront if given the opportunity…and he was devious enough that he didn't doubt his ability to find an opportunity.

But…

He did not like the idea of misusing trust that was placed in him. And that was the difference between her and every other woman on the face of the planet. He trusted her. She trusted him. He wasn't sure when it had happened exactly. Years of watching her tend to her friends no matter how stupid they were had taught him that she was kind and loyal. Seeing her deal with Umbrage and death eaters led him to the conclusion that she was clever and powerful. And the fact that she had saved his life when he was at his weakest allowed him to relax in her company the way he could in no one else's. She had not let him die then, there was no reason she would kill him now. It sounded crazy…he knew it did…but he couldn't shake the feeling that _anyone_ could turn on him and try to kill him at any time…anyone but her. He knew it was paranoid. And remembered what Draco had pointed out…about the obsessive glint in his eye when he spoke about Hermione. He wondered how long it had been there.

She had no clue that he'd spent the soup course considering asking her to be his employee and/or ravishing her before his speaking engagement this afternoon…and then allowing his thoughts to move on to his possibly unhealthy fascination with her.

She looked up and smiled at him.

"You were off in Never, Never land there for a moment."

He threw back his head and laughed. It was slightly ironic that she would choose that term…he knew she was referencing the play Peter Pan…but since he'd been considering seducing her, the term 'never, never' seemed an appropriate answer.

"I was considering how I might bring up a…rather delicate subject."

She looked at him curiously. She was still so naive. Good, deep down good, in a way that he had never been. She needed someone like him to protect her. He would be a complete cad if he wasted a single moment thinking about his selfish desire to take her when it meant he couldn't protect her properly.

"I wanted to offer you a place at my company…head of research or some title along those lines, doing exactly what you're doing now, but for me instead of the Ministry…Draco is drawing up the papers, but I guarantee the arrangements will be fair…" There was no expression on her face.

He automatically pitched his voice in the most persuasive tones. He wanted her to trust him. Needed for her to trust him. "You should not have to fight so hard just to do your work. We can fund your research; deal with the patents, the press, and the ministry. We have lawyers a plenty who can ram their own damn rules down their throats; keep them from playing hide the wand with your research. You should be left in peace to continue your work…not harassed by fools who can't even tie their own shoelaces."

"Severus…I don't know what to say…"

He looked into her eyes, took her hand in his, and willed her to listen to him. "Say yes."

She took a deep shuddering breath and muttered. "Merlin keep you from asking for something from me that I shouldn't give!" He didn't have time to process that fascinating sentence, wasn't even sure he'd heard it correctly… but he would revisit it later. She looked at him with happy, clear eyes.

"I am going to do this. I am going to quit the Ministry, come to work for you…can I bring my staff? And I'm not going to regret it."

She stared at him in awe.

"You don't even know what I was planning to work on next."

He chuckled. "Well you did mention something about a magical substitute for computers…"

She made a twirling motion with her hand. "Oh that's incidental really. No, my next project is a doozy. I'm going to create a spell that can allow prospective parents to 'turn on' their individual genetic information…resulting in offspring that have the dominate magical gene and only the dominate gene."

Severus Snape was not easily shocked. "You are going to make the muggle-borns into pure bloods?"

She gave him a look. "It isn't like that. What parent would want their child to see magic but be unable to be a part of this world? This charm would simply unlock that potential in the hereditary material before a child is even conceived. Do you know how much it would extend the genetic diversity in the Wizarding world? Diversity that I should add, is absolutely necessary? I have the numbers from my research. The inbreeding is atrocious, and it's not sustainable, especially here. We live on a bloody island after all. But new blood carries with it the possibility of magically weak children…and grandchildren with no magical ability at all...genetic muggles as I like to call them. You know I have no resentment to the muggle world, I was raised there…but I don't want my children to grow up without magic."

He nodded. "This sort of research could be a public relations nightmare…and it could be the beginning of a finical empire. Because you are right. What parent wouldn't take the opportunity if they were given the option?"

She sniffed. "It would be like not taking the opportunity to inoculate a child from small pox."

Severus chuckled.

"What?"

"I know some Death Eaters who would say the same thing. You do realize that if you had come up with these theories fifteen years ago, Voldemort would have overlooked the fact that you were Muggleborn and seduced you to his side?"

"Ewww…thank you so much for that mental picture. I will never feel clean again…" He ignored her attempt at humor, and shied away from the idea of her anywhere near the murdering psychopath that had been Tom Riddle.

"It's a dangerous path Hermione, playing God."

She sighed. "I'm aware of that Severus. Which is why I'm glad you offered to fund my research. I was really, truly worried about what stipulations the Ministry might put on a discovery like this. I'm far enough into my research that I know it can be done, it's just a matter of perfecting the charm. The question is, should it be done. In the hands of Voldemort it would have been catastrophic. The Ministry is bound to play around with it for their own gain. This should be a powerful tool for good…just like having a way to test for genetic compatibility will be a wonderful tool…it will lessen the in-breeding that has been thinning the wizarding bloodlines, and it will protect muggle-borns. Once there is no reason to fear diluting the magic in the bloodlines, muggle-borns will face fewer prejudices."

Severus grinned. It was time to reduce the stress in the room, and he had a good idea of how to do it. "You seem awfully interested in wedding and bedding." He anticipated her reaction perfectly. Teasing her was fun.

Hermione blushed. "I would like children of my own one day. I wouldn't love them a whit less if they were muggles or squibs, but I want to give my hypothetical brood every advantage."

There was a slight smile on her face.

Severus was shocked into momentary silence. He could have said many things…but he was sure that he didn't want to know if she had a father picked out for this 'hypothetical brood'…and he didn't want to know exactly when she intended to have the first of them. He wanted to pick her up, carry her to his bed, and put all other thoughts aside for a few hours.

That was a lie, and he knew it was the moment he thought it. He was unfailingly honest with himself inside his own head.

He wanted to pick her up, carry her to his bed, and erase the idea of her ever touching another man, ever again. He wanted to lay claim to her on every single level. He was shocked at the jealousy he felt for the 'hypothetical father' of this woman's children.

"Well, we have a few details to deal with before we can return to the subject of wedding and bedding…" He looked at her to make sure she hadn't taken offence to the teasing. She was grinning, slightly embarrassed, but looked happy enough. He offered her his arm. "Shall we go explore the mysteries of potion making?"

She took his arm and grinned. "Ready to explore the subtle science and exact art."

He grinned at her. "Do you think you can keep up? This_ is_ my area of expertise…"

She winked at him. "I'll manage I think. I _was_ taught by the best."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hope you like it!**

**Chapter Eight:**

There were more gossip rags at his speech. Word had spread that there was _something_ going on between the infamous potions master and the spell mistress.

The blasted reporters circled like sharks. Thankfully, he wasn't covering anything Earth-shattering…just some innovations in the storage of ingredients.

Hermione was sitting in the front, and he spent most of the speech watching her. It wasn't lost on the press.

"Potion Master Snape, can you comment on your relationship with Ms. Granger?"

"Yes, my comment is 'It's none of your damn business."

The rest of the reporters chuckled. Somehow, he always managed to get away with saying things to them that they would eviscerate other people for. Of course, it might be because they were secretly afraid he might be willing to eviscerate them…in a literal sense.

He noticed that several of the Aurors were hanging around. Davis and Rodgers: Too young by half as far as he was concerned. Snape had the urge to call them all dunderheads and assign them detention.

He turned his thoughts away from the youth of the current Aurors, and focused on the press. The malicious witch that had annoyed Hermione was there, but she hung back, unwilling to engage him again.

He offered Hermione his arm.

"So, we've both done our bit for the day…would you like to go do something? Shopping? Dinner?"

She seemed to think about it and shook her head. "I think I would rather stay in if you don't mind. Don't feel like you have to babysit me though, if you have things you need to do I'm sure I'll be fine . I would normally go hear some of the other speakers but I just don't want to…"

"Why not?"

She smiled at him.

"Well, first of all, I'd rather not give the press another go at us today. Secondly, your fan club is finally awake, and they're giving me death glares, and third, I'm a bit nervous…I know that I'll be seeing a box with an internal organ in it soon, and I don't want to be caught out in public when it comes."

He tightened his jaw.

"Why do you think this person would act again so quickly?"

She shrugged. "He's going to be upset that you and I are sharing a room, especially if he thinks that it's more than friendship. That bit you said about me being a…what was it…virgin high priestess?" She tried to smile, but he noticed that she still blushed slightly at the comment. "I think you hit the nail on the head. He thinks of me as this untouchable, pure idol…but if I do something that changes that…like spend the night with a man, then the pendulum is going to swing the other direction. I'll be a horrible slut who doesn't deserve his heart anymore."

He scanned the halls as they returned to his room. "You have a knack for understanding this sort of individual. "

"I've read studies on them from the Muggle world."

"Do you believe he is a danger?"

"Don't you?"

"Yes. I have dealt with enough men like this to know the type…he just seems more…organized than the ones I knew as a death eater…"

"That's because he has to stay hidden. He doesn't have an outlet for the things he wants…in fact, he might be fighting his darkest desires…he'll think of it as 'keeping it together'. It's important to him that others think of him as a decent man. I would bet that his father isn't one."

"What?"

"A decent man. I would guess that there was violence in his home growing up, either to himself or his mother. Since hearts aren't used as a rule in potion making, Harry and I are fairly sure he is taking them out himself. I just don't understand the significance of the hearts…"

Something about the way she put it…

"Perhaps…This is the magical world, and while hearts are not often used in potion making, they can be used in other types of spells. I don't remember where I've read about it, perhaps something from America or Africa?" He shook his head. "I will have to look into it. After the conference, I will spend some time at my library…you would be welcome to join me. I feel that removing the threat that this person represents would be beneficial to your concentration on _other_ projects…" She caught the twinkle in his eye again.

She ducked her head. "You aren't going to tease me again about wedding and bedding?"

He grinned. A real, tooth-baring grin. "From now until the day I die."

She started to say something, but she stopped as one of the Aurors (She was fairly certain the man's name was Henson and she'd put him in a full body bind curse once because he startled her) came up and handed her a small wooden box.

She didn't like the glassy look in his eye. "Henson?" She asked gently. The man simply nodded. "The box is for you…"

She grabbed his arm. "Henson, can you go get Harry?"

"Harry?"

"Harry Potter. Go to him Henson."

The man stumbled out of the hall, toward the command center. She and Severus were casting enchantments at the box before they even got back to the room.

"Confunded."

"Obviously."

The simple wooden box was sitting unopened on the table when Harry knocked. Hermione was sitting on the couch. Severus was not happy.

"One of your Aurors delivered this." He waved an elegant hand at the box.

Harry looked at Hermione guiltily.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. I just don't like that whoever this is seems to know where I am and where I'll be. At least they couldn't get past Severus' wards…"

Severus growled. "We know they _didn't_ get past my enchantments, not that they couldn't. I'm very tired of this admirer of yours."

She smiled at his comment. "You too?"

Harry frowned at both of them. "Fine, let's see what Jack has in the box this time…"

Hermione snorted. Severus looked at both of them in some alarm. "A jack-in-the-box…it's a kind of muggle toy…

Harry flipped open the box.

"I haven't a clue what sort of heart this could be…it doesn't look overtly magical. God, I hope he hasn't moved up to humans…"

He levitated the heart and removed the false bottom in the box, picking up the expected scroll.

"_Potter, sharing her again? I thought you'd learned your lesson with Weasley. I will have her yet, and no man will ever touch her again."_

Hermione snorted. "Lovely. Yet another man who thinks that just because we shared a tent it naturally means that I was sleeping with both you and Ron."

Harry rolled his eyes. "At least this time the idiot is a verifiable nut job."

He walked to the couch and hugged her lightly. "Ginny says that you need to come to dinner next week. Of course your fan boy here will think that there's more going on than just roast and a pudding."

Hermione laughed. "Nothing like deliberately provoking a mad man…"

Harry brightened. Hermione looked suddenly wary.

"Well, it might be fun to push the guy a bit. So far he isn't making mistakes. We need him off balance so that we can catch him."

"Harry James Potter, I'm fairly certain I don't like where this is going."

Snape stepped in. "I agree with Hermione. You will not be using her to bait this obsessive stalker."

Harry sighed. "Look, we have a large number of Aurors here because of the conference…"

Severus muttered darkly "Never mind that one of them was just confunded…"

"Yes, and that lets us know that he's either a very good wizard or someone that the Auror knew…or knew of."

"And this train of thought leads to Hermione acting as bait in _what_ alternate universe?" Snape was snarling.

Hermione stilled him with a hand on his. "I don't think that being bait is a good idea Harry. There's no time limit on this. Unless our Romeo has moved on to sentient creatures…" She shook her brown curls. "Right now, he hasn't done anything that would land him more than a stint in St Mungo's psych ward. Is it creepy? Yes, very. Is he making me uncomfortable? Of course he is. But just because you and I have lived through a lot of life and death situations, we shouldn't over-react to this."

She held up a hand to still protests from both men. "Eventually he will slip up. I'll just be more cautious than normal. Severus, would you perhaps consider helping me ward my home and grounds?"

"Of course. If Potter will agree to be your secret keeper then I think even Hogwarts will not be as safe as your home."

Harry nodded quietly. "If we're going to play a waiting game, I won't be able to keep Aurors on you. Eventually someone at the blasted Ministry is going to object." Harry grimaced because they both knew it would be done quickly. She'd made a lot of enemies. Harry sighed. "I want you to do a charm on something…like you did in fifth year for DA. Something so you can contact me…" He rolled his eyes as Severus made a noise in the back of his throat…"Fine…something that you can use to contact _us_ if anything happens to you…something we can trace, even through wards."

Hermione nodded. "That's a good idea Harry. I think I can tweak the spell a bit and have something ready by tomorrow."

Harry picked up the box and nodded to them. "In the meantime, send a patronus if you need anything. Stay close to Severus."

She rolled her eyes.

"You know, I _have_ managed to tie my own shoes and feed myself for a number of years…"

Harry grinned at her tone. "And you've saved my life more than once. You're good Hermione, no one is doubting it…but he's better…and he's scary as hell."

Severus actually looked pleased. "Nice that someone remembers that I'm terrifying. I would hate to think that I wasted all those years as a teacher." He waved Harry out the door. "Go see who or what Hermione's lover boy killed Potter."

Harry smirked. "I will. I'll post Greengrass and Davis outside your door. Keep her safe, _sir_."

**AN: I'll try to get Chapter Nine up either this evening or tomorrow morning…Thank you all for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: A note about the rating…**

**This story was rated M for a reason. It has thematic elements that are not meant for children. If you are too young to read this, stop reading NOW. **

**(looks around) Ok, hopefully all the kids went and found a nice violent video game to play…I mean a piece of classical literature to read…no violence or smut in the classics right? R-i-g-h-t. **

**Now…just so you know, things get a little smutty after this chapter. I'm of the opinion that it works with the M rating, but I'm giving you fair warning. If the contents of a steamy romance novel would bother you, skip Chapters 10 and 11…and maybe 12…**

**Chapter Nine:**

Dinner was a quiet affair. Severus could tell that his companion was thinking furiously about something, so he didn't bother her with conversation. After dinner, they sat on the couch. She had pulled three books out of a disreputable-looking bag that had patches of beading here and there. She was flipping through them, muttering to herself. Severus tried not to smile. He admired her focus.

She brought the tea pot into the tiny sitting room. He normally preferred to relax with a fine glass of wine, but he didn't object to the fragrant blend of tea that she'd brought. She'd poured his cup without asking if he'd like one…he wasn't sure how he felt about that. It was so…considerate? Perhaps domestic was the better word for it. It was a bit unsettling for a man who had lived the better part of his life alone.

He tried to focus on his own book, but he found himself watching her instead. As the shadows lengthened, he flicked his wand and lit a fire in the fireplace. She finally looked up from her book, smiled triumphantly, and summoned three bits of string from the ever-present bag. With a flick of her wand and a non-verbal spell, she transfigured the string silver chains. Another flick and she added a small circular pendant to each one. Then, with a look of intense concentration, she added a final spell.

She beamed at the jewelry. She picked one up and handed it to Severus, who looked somewhat taken aback. "It has a protean charm on it. We'll be able to use them to communicate. I thought jewelry would be the easiest way…"

He nodded and fingered the pendant. It was about the size of the pad of his thumb, a tiny engraved scene of some sort. Four people in wizard's robes…four animals and a tree…ah-ha.

"Interesting. I've never seen this representation of the Hogwarts founders."

She was busily stuffing her things back into the little bag. "Oh, it's just a little scene I thought about when the sorting hat pointed out one year that originally, the founders formed Hogwarts because they were friends. They must have had days when they were like that…sitting under a tree and talking…being happy."

Severus nodded but he ran his thumb over the small pendant again. "Perhaps they did. I've never thought about it before."

She smiled absently and picked her pendant up and turned it around. "There's an area on the back where we can send messages…and we won't need a wand to activate the link between them if we're in trouble."

He moved behind her and pulled the chain from her fingers. "Move your hair and I'll help you with this."

She pulled her hair up, exposing her neck. He couldn't help that his mouth watered slightly at the sight. It was very tempting to press a warm kiss to her pulse point, but once his lips touched her, his teeth wouldn't be far behind. He connected the chain and dropped his hands.

He picked up his own pendant and used his long, clever fingers to attach the clasp. Jewelry was generally not high on his list of priorities when dressing, but he found that the pendant did not bother him. Of course, that might have something to do with the maker and purpose of the pendant.

She sighed and stretched out on the couch. He picked up her feet and sat down, repositioning them in his lap. It was perhaps the most intimate moment that they had ever had, but she didn't seem to mind. He curled one long hand around her ankle, as it was discreetly covered by her robes.

"I think I'll have a glass of wine…" He raised a brow in inquiry. "Can I tempt you?" She nodded even as she shivered slightly as his voice dipped down into the lower register. Nice to know the witch was not totally immune to him, even if it was just on an unconscious level.

He summoned two glasses and the bottle, uncorking the vintage with his wand. The business of pouring the wine kept his hands busy for a few moments, but then it was just the two of them…sitting on the smallish couch, with her feet in his lap, in front of a roaring fire. He had not planned a scene for seduction, but his Slytherin mind had to admit, if he had been planning, this scene might have been the end result.

He tasted the wine cautiously, swirling it in his mouth for traces of potions or poisons. He was sensitive enough to magic that he could often sense even those potions that were tasteless and odorless. He took a longer sip of the elf made wine and relaxed a bit. Hermione caught him of course.

"Did you just check the wine for poison?"

He tried not to let a sheepish look flit across his face, but he wasn't entirely sure he'd managed. The woman made him let down his guard. It made him feel…unbalanced when she caught him at habits he'd formed over so many years. She was looking at him, waiting for an answer. There was no reason to deny the truth, she knew it anyway.

"Yes."

She sighed and pulled her warm feet out of his lap. He missed them instantly.

"Excuse me, I purloined those feet for my own purposes. They were doing an admirable job of keeping my lap warm."

He could tell she was blushing. It was altogether delightful.

"Because the fire isn't warm enough…"

"It is not nearly as comforting by any stretch of the imagination."

She scooted closer and accioed a blanket from her bed. "Here, if you are cold, I'll share."

He put an arm around her as she snuggled into his side, book in hand. He was surprised by this turn of events, but hardly displeased. He could smell her hair, the fire, the scent of the book she held in her hands, the red wine they sipped as she read and he pretended to.

The sound of pages turning was the only break in the silence as he finished his first glass of wine. He poured himself another, feeling the need of something to do with his hands as he enjoyed the warmth of the witch at his side. He was halfway through his second glass when he noticed that she absently tried to take a sip out of her glass…and it was empty. He chuckled, getting her attention.

"More?"

She nodded, smiling at him. He poured her another good measure, and refilled his own glass as he picked up his neglected book.

She was staring into the fire though, and since she wasn't reading, he didn't hesitate. "What are you thinking?"

She turned back to him and smiled again, as if embarrassed to be caught woolgathering. "I was just thinking how much life can change in a few weeks. It was just eight weeks ago that I discovered the 'lineage charm' as I like to call it…the one that allows me to trace a witch or wizard's bloodline…and since then my entire world had turned on its axis."

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

She nodded and took another sip of her wine. "Of course."

He thought for another long moment, testing himself, making sure he wanted to ask this question, at this moment. "You said that most muggle-borns were actually half-bloods…"

She nodded, understanding his line of thought. "Most are. I am not. My father's family has squib blood: quite a bit of it, some of the pure bloods who are distantly related to me would have kittens if they knew; my great-grandmother on my mother's side was a witch, a half-blood. Mother doesn't have the gene for magic herself, but she passed it down to me. My father probably would have ended up at Hogwarts if he hadn't carried the inverted protein. I didn't inherit that, the dominate gene from my mother's side was expressed…and so I'm genetically a pure-blood…like rolling the dice and ending up with double sixes."

She shrugged.

Severus smiled. "One in the eye then for those who like to point to 'blood status'."

She chuckled, toasted him, and took a long drink of her wine.

"Merlin, that's delicious."

"Elf-made wine. They somehow manage to keep all the flavor and remove all the bitterness."

She gave him a half-smile.

"Would that the rest of us could learn that skill."

He chuckled and poured himself a third glass. He was quite used to fire-whiskey, but the elf wine was deceptively potent…he'd need to keep that in mind for Hermione's sake. He didn't want her inebriated.

"I wouldn't know where to begin in a life without bitterness."

She moved her head to the side in a sudden way that reminded him of a curious bird. "Are you happy?"

He felt her body next to his and took a small sip of his wine to give himself time think of a good way to express how he felt. "I never thought I would have the opportunity to be happy, so it took me a few years after the war to truly try…another year to decide what I wanted, and a few years to put those plans into action. I can honestly say I've never been happier. I have good friends, good wine, and fulfilling work…"

She grinned at him and finished off her second glass. "Not to mention being named the sexiest wizard alive…"

He re-filled her glass.

"Damn Witch Weekly to hell." Two years ago they had declared him the 'Sexiest Wizard alive' in their annual poll. He normally didn't let it bother him…much.

"Oh, it can't be all that bad."

"You think not?" He let his amusement show. "I shudder to think that I am now I the same illustrious group as such notables as Gilderoy Lockhart."

"I don't think he was awarded the title of Sexiest Wizard alive…back then it was Most Charming Smile… Witch Weekly has really gone downhill since the war." She wrinkled her nose.

Severus groaned. "As I said before…"

"Yes, I think I caught it the first time: 'damn Witch Weekly to hell."

He touched his glass to hers. His arm had gotten wrapped around her at some point, he couldn't really remember exactly when that had happened…a sure sign he need to slow his intake of the fragrant wine.

He leaned down and rumbled in her ear. "Are_ you_ happy?"

She sighed and her warm breath excited him. He found he was very glad of the blanket over his lap, but much more of this and he wouldn't trust it to hide his growing physical response.

She turned her head and it somehow ended up on his chest, a fact that was not lost on him, no matter how potent the wine might be.

"I have good friends, good wine, and work that is more fulfilling every day, particularly since you've volunteered to remove nearly all the major thorns from my side…"

She looked at him with some confusion. "Why did you do that?"

He brushed a curl away from her face. "Many reasons. The best involve my very real belief that you are a brilliant witch who was spending far too much of her precious time dealing with blithering idiots. I had too many years of doing so myself to take any pleasure in seeing someone else suffer the same fate…" He chuckled when he thought about years of dealing with dunderheads.

She was still looking at him. He sobered and continued. "The most _reasonable_ involve the fact that this will be extremely beneficial to my company and to you…with the longevity of wizards, you and I could work together for a hundred years…I'm excited to be part of your discoveries, and have you involved with my own research. I had considered asking you once or twice before, but I didn't really think you'd leave the Ministry." He'd known she was having issues, but he'd assumed Potter was keeping an eye on her…keeping her safe. The boy was still a dunderhead. Now, he was just a slightly more tolerable dunderhead.

"Draco is an excellent potions maker, but he prefers the business side of things, which leaves me free to do the part I love… but it also leaves me with no one to collaborate with." He wrapped his other arm around her.

She looked at him. "And the rest?"

She was staring at him like she was trying to read his mind. "Too perceptive by half…even under the influence of wine." He muttered as he looked at her lips.

She didn't need to hear all of his reasons. He'd try another partial truth. "Some of my reasons involve the fact that I can better protect you if you are with me…and I don't particularly trust Potter with the job, and the Ministry…well we've already agreed that the term 'blithering idiots' cannot be used often enough when discussing them."

She put down her glass carefully, indicating that she was feeling the effects of the wine and recognized that in herself…

She put her hands on either side of his face. "What did I do to earn your friendship Severus?"

He kissed her forehead. "You mean besides saving my life?"

She pulled away, and he stopped her, keeping one warm, dainty hand pressed to his cheek. "It's not earned Hermione. It just is. You earned my trust, won my admiration…but my friendship…it's a gift, freely given."

He was holding her hand to his face. It suddenly occurred to him that she might want her hand back. He dropped his hand…but her warm palm remained cupped around his cheek.

"Thank you."

She pressed a chaste kiss to his lips and stared into his dark eyes with her whiskey-colored ones.

"You have my friendship in return you know."

He brushed her cheek with calloused fingertips, marveling in the texture of her soft skin.

"It is one of the greatest honors that anyone has ever given me."

She blushed. The heat from her face was distracting.

A teasing twinkle lit up her eyes.

"Better than being declared the sexiest wizard alive?"

He moved without thought, penning her body to the couch with his own, pleased with the surprised look on her face. It was good to remind her that there was more than talk behind that title...even if none of the people who'd written that tripe knew from personal experience.

"Much better witch. Should I mention again that you seem to have a fascination with wedding and bedding…" He smirked, reminding her that she wasn't the only one who could tease… He was inches away from her delectable lips. "It makes one wonder what is going on in that over-sized brain of yours."

"Are you accusing me of being obsessed with sex?"

He made a show of leering at her body under his. He laughed and pulled himself away from her, downing the rest of his wine with the intention of heading directly to bed before his state of arousal ruined his relationship with the woman he'd been holding in his arms.

She wrapped a hand in his robes. "Excuse me. I purloined your body for my own purposes. It was doing an admirable job of keeping me warm." She was smirking at him! Damn the witch. His control wasn't endless. The sheer cheek of using his own words against him. His mouth felt dry. He poured a bit more wine into his glass and took a sip.

"I thought you had the blanket to keep you warm."

"Well, it isn't nearly as comforting…"

Her eyes said more than her words did. He put the glass down and traced her lips with a calloused thumb.

"I could keep you warm if you like…but tell me, would you be happy about it tomorrow?"

No, his control wasn't endless. He didn't wait for her to answer, he simply allowed himself to kiss her…even if it was just this once, even if it was only the wine. He needed to drink her…to feel her…to possess her.

He lost himself in the pleasure of her mouth…

**AN: I know. I'm an evil person for stopping there. Never fear! I will get Chapter Ten up tomorrow! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:**

Sometime later, Severus brought himself back to reality with a strangled breath. He wasn't sure how they had ended up such a tangled mess of limbs and discarded robes, but he was aching, and she was panting.

Her lips were swollen from his kisses and he gloated inwardly that he had been the one to kiss her speechless. He ran his nose along her sensitive jaw line and she arched her back and moaned. He grinned like a fool and kissed his way back to her mouth. He got a bit distracted again at that point. Eventually, he remembered that he'd actually wanted to say something to the witch, and that it was important.

"Hermione." She whimpered as he said her name, and he smirked. Oh the fun he would have later if hearing his voice wrapped like velvet around her name turned her on.

"What do you want from me tonight?" Her eyes met his. He allowed himself a smile…a real one.

"I am not saying that I don't wish to pursue anything that is appropriate between us…anything and everything…but I need to know what you want _tonight_."

Of course, if the witch said no, he was going to have to take a long, cold shower…and pursue her relentlessly over the coming days…his mind was already formulating plans when she spoke.

"I want you."

He didn't bother to hide his moan as he sank back into her warm embrace, recapturing her lips. He had planned to work out the details of the relationship first…but the details would have to wait.

He groaned to himself. How much was the wine affecting her? How much was it affecting him? They were both logical people who wouldn't normally risk this…somehow he found the strength to give her one last opportunity.

"Last chance witch. If you don't leave me now, you won't be leaving."

His voice rumbled in her ear and she groaned.

"What do you need, a notary seal and three witnesses?" Her eyes were on fire. Her expression seemed to soften at something she saw in his expression. "Or do you just need to hear me say I want you?"

She looked up at the man who was trying to do 'the right thing' out of some misplaced chivalry he would deny having if she pressed the matter.

She took his hand and led him back to her room. He followed, almost wary. Did he want this as much as she did? She didn't give him time to talk, pushing him down on the bed and sliding up his body in a smooth motion that secretly pleased her. It was good to know that her body remembered how to do this. She'd had moments in the past few years where she wondered. It had been much too long since she'd been in this position at all…and she'd never felt anything like the fire under her skin when Severus stroked her.

She caressed his face and reached down to press a warm kiss on the scar on his neck. "I want you Severus."

He jerked. Gentle pressure from her hands kept him from moving.

She moved up and pressed another kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"I want you Severus." Her voice was husky; his eyes were closed, as if remaining still was taking every ounce of control he possessed.

He reached for her and she allowed him to rub circles on her back. Her outer robes were gone, leaving her in her knickers and a camisole.

His robes were somewhere in the sitting room, but he was still wearing a under shirt and trousers. She pulled the shirt off. He lifted his upper body as she tugged, allowing her to do what she wanted.

She pressed another soft close-mouthed kiss to his skin, on his chest above the nipple. A part of her knew this wasn't about heat. It was about acceptance. It didn't matter what he wanted beyond tonight…she sensed that he needed her…_needed_ her to accept him if they were going to move forward in any way…and accepting him on every level happened to be exactly what she wanted to do…

She reached up and kissed his temple. "I want you Severus."

She finally reached his mouth again. He pulled her down and kissed her properly. "I want you. I want you. I want you…" Within seconds her reassurance was merely the panting, mindless cry of a woman on the brink of exploding; gasps between fiery kisses…and he'd barely touched her.

He flipped them so he could have better access to her body, and she was quickly nude in his arms.

He didn't speak again, but her nerve endings were so over-stimulated that his touch was nearly painful.

Her whimpers led his fingers to her center sooner than he would have liked, and he was shocked at the need he could feel emanating from her.

"Severus….I need…" Her strangled sentence was too much to finish, he kissed her deeply.

He'd wanted to go slow and make her lose her mind…but she wasn't in any condition for prolonged love-making. _ Good god, if I'd known the woman was so starved…_

He growled, knowing it had been a long time since anyone had touched her.

She was slick when he thrust into her.

She came the second he was fully sheathed in her.

He sucked in air as he felt her come apart. It wasn't a huge orgasm, but he could feel her spasm around him. He kissed her and she cried out under his mouth.

He didn't give her time to recover fully before he began moving slowly inside her. She was…tight, hot, wet…perfect. She moved under him as he took his time, kissing her mouth, her cheeks, her eyelids. She grabbed his hand and kissed the inside of his wrist.

He gradually increased the tempo, lifting her slightly to reposition himself, looking for the exact angle…

"Severus!"

He drove himself into her, taking the pace up not one notch, but several, moving as quickly as he dared, while she tightened even more along his length. His tongue dipped into her ear as she threw her head back and totally lost control, screaming wordlessly under his body. Her muscles clinched at just the right moment, and he felt himself spill into her…his entire body suffering tiny jerks from the force of it. He buried his head in her neck and hair while his body continued to twitch.

"I must be getting heavy…"

He kissed the side of her neck, intending to roll off of her, at least for the moment…but he found himself held firmly.

"Stay…just for another moment, please. I don't want to feel you leave me."

He didn't want to feel himself outside of her body either. It would be a wrenching, almost painful sensation.

He laughed a little, mostly at himself. "After a few months you may get tired of me being inside you."

She ran a hand down his sweaty back, cupping his bum briefly, returning to his waist. "I may get sore Severus, but never tired of this…"

He kissed her neck again, and pulled out.

"Ahhh…" He wrapped her in his arms and did a quick spell to clean them both, then another to bring the much-summoned blanket back to her bed. He kissed her mouth, slowly, sweetly, learning the shape of her lips, the silken thrust of her tongue against his, drinking her in.

"Don't worry. We have all night, and the night after that…and the night after that…"

He pushed her damp curls out of her face.

"I told you, didn't I? You had your chance to leave. I'll not give you the opportunity again."

His mouth was like hot silk as he moved down her body to prove the point….

**AN: Chapter Eleven will be up tomorrow…**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Wow guys. I need to thank all of you for the reviews, the PMs, and the favs! My inbox runnith over…**

**Chapter Eleven:**

Hermione Granger had never once fallen asleep in a classroom environment. But then, she'd never fallen asleep with Severus Snape inside her either until last night….

She wondered if she looked as marvelously shagged as she felt…but aside from the relentless, sleepy grin on her face and the dark circles she was sure were under her eyes, she doubted it. She had no idea what the current speaker was saying, or even why they were here this morning. She was too focused on the pleasantly sore feeling she had every time she moved.

Severus was looking at her out of the corner of his eye, smirking. Damn the man. He needn't look so smug about it. Well…maybe he did. It had been an extremely long night. As long as he did it again as soon as they left this thrice-damned lecture he could smirk all he liked.

She managed not to doze, but she didn't recall anything the speaker said.

Severus took her elbow as the other guests rose to leave. "What am I to do with you woman?" He chuckled in her ear.

She grinned up at him sleepily. "I have a list…if we're done here…"

Her dark haired lover grinned. "As if you could stay awake. Insatiable witch. There's brunch and we're expected at it." He leaned down and whispered "But as soon as I get a few cups of coffee into you, I'm stealing you away."

She groaned. "Do we have to go?'

He nodded. "Well, technically, we don't have to go…but if we don't we might as well leave the conference entirely…"

She considered that for a moment, and he wondered if she would really forgo the entire convention and spend a few weeks shagging him senseless. It would be a terrible business decision…but it was certainly tempting.

"Fine. We'll go. But I'm going to need a lot of coffee."

He pulled her close as he helped her to her feet.

The lovers did not notice someone watching them. They were both too sleepy, too satisfied…and at the same time, too intent on the next time they could be alone…

Severus was speaking with several colleagues while Hermione sat like a lump at the table, sipping coffee. She didn't feel much like the brilliant business asset he claimed she was. Apparently, he didn't worry with things like sleep or food. _I'm never going to be able to keep up with the man._ She snorted to herself. That didn't mean she wouldn't try. _More coffee…that's the ticket…_

Not that anything was going to mess up her mood. She had an unreasonable urge to giggle every time she saw Severus…his feline prowl reminded her of last night as much as her sore muscles did.

His eye kept wandering back to her, and she could tell that he was having trouble suppressing a smile. A smug, possessive, naughty smile (she'd seen it a lot the night before) but still…she made him smile.

She laughed at herself. Though he was less dour than he'd been at the height of the war, it was probably best that he didn't suddenly break out in a full grin. There were a lot of elderly wizards and witches at the conference and she was certain that at least one of them would have a heart attack if they saw Severus Snape grinning openly.

She jumped when a shadow fell on her.

She spilled her coffee.

Martin Greengrass was standing over her.

"Sorry about that." The young auror put down a plate from the brunch buffet and cleaned the spell with his wand, refilling her cup.

He sat down and gave her a conspiratorial look. "Don't tell Potter, but I decided that I could kill two birds with one stone if I sat down and ate with you…"

She didn't know him well, but he was a charming sort of person. She sipped the coffee. Just the right amount of cream and sugar.

"Thanks. Out of curiosity, which two birds were you planning to kill?"

He was tanned, with dark brown hair and amber-colored eyes….almost golden in fact. She wondered absently if Martin didn't have a little something other than wizard is his genetic mix…maybe some lycanthrope a few generations back…

"Why, doing my duty to protect thee fair maiden…and eating eggs and bacon."

Hermione chuckled. She absently passed him the salt.

He frowned. "That's bad luck you know."

She cocked her head to one side.

"What is?"

Martin gave her a little half-grin. "My mother's people are from Louisiana. According to her, passing the salt is bad luck…and if you shake out a table cloth after dark, you're asking for a family member to be injured."

Hermione snorted, but she was fascinated none-the-less. Other parts of the world had their own magical traditions. "Hoodoo? I've read about it of course…it's incredibly interesting, but since there isn't a school that teaches it…"

Martin snorted. "Oh no. Everything is kept very quiet…the matriarch of every family keeps the spells and tutors her line…spells are never shared, grimoires are destroyed if the family line ends. There's nothing like Hogwarts for Hoodoo." He took a large bite of eggs and chewed it neatly.

"But you went to Hogwarts."

Martin shrugged and patted his mouth. "My father's family was from Wales, and we've lived here most of my life…we only visited the States during the war. I'm afraid that with a Squib for a mother, my father felt like discretion was the better part of valor."

Hermione softened. "I can see why he would. A parent has to protect his family first of course."

Martin raised an eyebrow but didn't look up from his breakfast. Hermione peeked around to look for Severus again.

"I imagine my father was more concerned with protecting the family fortune."

She grimaced. "Like that, was it?"

He took another bite of his eggs. "It hardly matters. I didn't really come over to discuss my rather depressing familial history with you…I wanted to get your take on the hearts."

She was wrong. There _was _a subject that could ruin her good mood.

"I've had this conversation with Harry already."

Martin snorted. "No offence to the man-who-hammered-his-way-through-everything, but he doesn't hold a patent on magical ability or knowledge. I feel like we're missing something important about the hearts…something everyone should get…something simple. I was hoping you might have some insight."

Martin looked at Hermione, and she recognized that look. It was a lot like some of her 'fans'.

She sipped her coffee, more for something to do than for the warmth and caffeine. "I'll look into it Martin, but contrary to popular belief, I don't carry around the entire library in my head. Have you done any research into it?"

The younger man shook his head and gave her an embarrassed half-smile. "A bit. Reserch isn't my forte. I'm of more use at dealing with wards and hexing things."

She smiled at him. "Those are good talents for an auror to have."

He nodded. "They aren't the ones needed here if you're going to figure out what's going on with this."

She sighed. "You're right. I'll give the research another go as soon as the conference is over. Thank you for taking such an interest."

He smiled at her.

"You are the cleverest witch in Great Britain. I owe you more than I can say for inventing the Squib potion. The difference it's made in my mother's life…" He shook his head and reached across the table to pat her hand…just once…and then pulled his hand back. "The moment she wrote me and told me about how it changed things for her…I knew that I owed you everything."

His eyes were shining with emotion, it made her nervous. Hermione looked up for Severus again.

She met his dark eyes for a second. Thank God, he was coming over.

She tried to smile at Martin. "You don't owe me anything. I do my job…you do yours. You've saved lives as an auror I'm sure…"

Martin leaned forward. "There's a big difference between knocking a jinx away from someone and making an intolerable life livable."

She felt Severus' possessive hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him and smiled gratefully. The conversation was uncomfortable.

"Auror Greengrass. Is it customary to eat with those you are protecting?"

The younger man didn't bother to hide his dislike of Severus. "Well, it did allow me to get close to her. She was relatively exposed here in the middle of the room."

Severus glared. "Armed, in a room full of witnesses, and I promise you, I was watching the entire time." Hermione wasn't sure about the threat in Severus' voice.

Martin shrugged, unaffected by the other man's glare. "And we're dealing with a very clever person. If he wanted to take her somewhere he could simply Imperioused you."

Snape snorted. "Idiot boy. I've been throwing off the Imperious longer than you've been alive."

Hermione stilled Severus with a hand on his. He looked down at her.

"Thank you both." She gave Martin a small smile and got up. "I appreciate the care you're taking to keep me safe." Severus offered her his arm, and she took it gladly. "I would love to hear more about your mother's experience with the potion sometime soon…"

The young man smiled. "Please, call me Martin."

She nodded, just a tad uncomfortable. "Then you must call me Hermione." She smiled a bit and turned to Severus. "I didn't sleep well last night, would it be acceptable if we returned to the room?"

"Thank you for playing knight in shining armor."

He chuckled. "Yes, you need a knight errant to save you from the effusive thanks of fan boys."

"His mother…."

"I caught that part of the conversation. There are worse things, I suppose, than gratitude…but that does not mean that I liked the way he touched you, or the way the boy sneered at me. It reminded me a bit too much of all the sanctimonious prigs I've dealt with over the years…men who would sneer as I saved their damn lives."

He hadn't meant for the bitterness to leak out.

"Like Harry you mean…"

Severus snorted. "Potter? No, Potter was an arrogant little berk as a boy, but he somehow managed to grow up into a decent man. One cannot blame a child for not having an adult's grasp of a dangerous situation…especially when one realizes that most adults don't grasp it either."

He shook off his mood as they reached their room.

He started taking the spells down non-verbally long before they reached the door, and he leaned down to rumble in her ear "Now, mistress mine, I believe that you were the one that suggested that we return to our rooms…"

Her smile held so much lazy satisfaction that he was glad that he was the only one who could see it. It was a look that spoke of spectacular sex. If he hadn't already been hard to start with, that look would have done it all on its own.

She reached up and kissed him, softly, sweetly, but burning at the same time. She nuzzled his neck and whispered… "Make love to me."

_Ye Gods…the witch is going to be the death of me…_

He pulled her to him; neither noticed that someone was watching.

They barely made it into the room, shut and quickly warded the door, before their clothing came off with a quick spell. He was inside her with her back against the door, causing it to move with each thrust.

"Dear Merlin woman…how is it that you were so wet…."

She gasped at the force of him moving and wrapped her legs around his lean waist… She took a shuddering breath as the pleasure threatened to cut off her ability to think… "My body seems to be under the impression that if we are together you should be inside me."

He laughed and bit her neck, then licked her ear lightly. "Hmmm…I like how your body thinks madam. It might make business meetings a bit awkward, but I'm sure we can work something out…or skip the damn things."

She laughed, but the way his body was moving quickly caught her entire attention. She wound her fingers in his hair and kissed him…she poured everything she was feeling into that kiss and he responded by groaning and adding to the pace that was already driving her mad.

She was just inches from blacking out afterward. He was resting his sweaty forehead on her cheek, breathing raggedly. Her orgasms seemed to trip his. She eventually realized that they were lying on the floor on his robes, and her head was resting on his shoe.

"Mmmm…Oh god Severus. Why didn't we wait until we got to one of the beds?"

He chuckled and his breath on her heated flesh sent another wave of _want_ down her body.

"I'll admit it witch. I couldn't wait."

"I'm going to have to get up before lying on your shoe gives me a crick in my neck." She fumbled in her discarded robes and found her wand. Severus found his without any fumbling. Typical.

He stood quickly and helped her up, then actually swept her up into his arms.

He kissed her as he carried her to his bed.

The sheets were cool. She almost hated to get into them as messy and sweaty as she felt, but he didn't ask. He laid her on the bed and snuggled in beside her, leaning on one pale lean arm and looking down at her.

She snuggled into his chest and yawned.

"That good was it?"

She gave him a sleepy grin. "Hmmm. You know it was. Modesty isn't one of your flaws."

He pushed back her curling hair and kissed her gently. "No, I daresay it isn't. Sleep now, I'll wake you in time for your speech."

She opened her eyes. "Stay with me?"

He laughed. "Of course witch. Didn't I tell you that you're never getting away now?"

She was almost asleep when he heard her mutter "good…"

**AN: This is my favorite chapter so far! More Draco in Chapter 12…I'll upload it tomorrow after I finish editing! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve:**

He watched her sleep for some time, but the long night finally caught up with him as well. He buried his face in her warm neck and pulled her body flush to his. She murmured in her sleep. It was a happy sound…blissful almost. Certainly more than happy. He considered that for a moment. It had been a very long time since his presence had made anyone happy….

He didn't sleep nearly long enough before he heard someone knocking persistently at the door.

Cursing under his breath, he did some of the quickest spellwork he'd done since Voldemort died: a cleansing spell on himself, quickly dressing, removing the robes and the…traces of their escapades from the main room…

There was a second knock as he shut the bedroom door.

"Draco."

He stood aside to let the younger man in the room, avoiding the glare of the Greengrass puppy who was stationed outside the door.

Draco smirked slightly as Severus shut the door, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"An auror at the door? I didn't realize your fan club was quite that persistent. I can take a few dozen of them off your hands if need be…"

Severus snorted. "If I didn't like you so much boy, I'd poor polyjuice down your throat and shove you out the door to them."

Draco chuckled. "No thank you sir. If I can't seduce them with my good looks, charm, and extensive Gringotts account, I suppose they will just have to be left to camp out in hallways, hoping to get a go at you."

"Is this a business matter Draco or did you come by just to annoy me?"

"I brought the papers you requested. And if I were trying to annoy you I'd do a better job of it." Severus laughed as Draco handed him the binder. "The lawyers have gone over her current contract…I'd love to know who she used to negotiate it. They must have had the Ministry by the short hairs to get some of the concessions that are in this thing…"

Severus smirked. "You can ask her some time, but I might wager that she negotiated it herself."

Draco looked around the room. "Is she the reason why you have Daphne Greengrass' annoying cousin pouting at your door?"

Severus nodded absently as he went over the sheaf of papers in his hand. "Her fan club is even worse than mine. It's a bit of an issue, as I said."

Draco smirked. "She's here now?"

"She's asleep."

Draco raised a single brow again. "Oh? And why would our Miss Granger be tired. Something keep her up last night?"

Severus penned his godson with a look. "Never refer to her as 'Our' Miss Granger again Draco."

He was surprised to hear the level of purring threat behind those words, and so was Draco. The younger man had always been secure in his godfather's affection…even teasing him relentlessly when no one else would dare.

"Easy Severus. You haven't recently discovered that you're part Veela have you?"

_No, I've always been a possessive bastard when it came to relationships._

Snape didn't feel the need to say that part out loud.

"The implication that I am unreasonably over-protective of her is not lost on me Draco."

Draco gave him a small smirk. "Never thought it would be. So…wedding gifts…"

He wasn't shocked when his godfather slapped the back of his head…hard.

She was beautiful. But her beauty was not as appealing as her mind. That was why each heart was placed where she could see it…so she could work out the spells that were being cast…to prepare her. It was an old, old ritual…used long before wizards had discovered wands. The spell took three times three weeks to cast, required the hearts of nine magical creatures...

In one week the full moon would rise, and that night the spell would finally be complete. One final heart to seal the spell, each drop of blood, each sacrifice, each layer of magic that had been cast…one week from now it would all be worth it.

**AN: Sorry, this is a short one! It was just the 'right' pace to stop… I'll post Chapter 13 tomorrow! **


	13. Chapter 13

**A quote From the Tales of Beedle the Bard:**

"_**Tamper with the deepest Mysteries—**_

_**the source of life, the essence of self—**_

_**only if prepared for consequences of**_

_**the most extreme and dangerous kind."**_

_**(And once again, Harry all his friends belong to JK Rowling, but you knew that, didn't you…). **_

**Chapter Thirteen**

Harry looked annoyed.

"Tell me the truth. Are you just being stupid, or did the two of you decide to bait this stalker without talking to me first?"

Hermione stared at her best friend and Severus looked like a storm cloud with a tornado in the forecast.

"Before I hex you Mr. Potter, could you please explain that question?"

Harry was not particularly impressed, having been on the rough side of Severus's biting wit most of his life.

He flung down a copy of Witch Weekly.

A wizarding photo took up most of the page. Snape had no problem identifying both himself and Hermione locked in a passionate embrace outside the hotel room. One part of his mind was horrified when he considered how the stalker might react to this picture…one part analyzed the angle and decided where the photo had been taken. Most of his mind was occupied with watching the look on the photo version of Hermione's face as the photo version of himself kissed her breathless and pulled her into the hotel room.

From Hermione's blush, he surmised that she was thinking the same thing.

"I'm going to murder that stupid cow of a reporter…"

Well, maybe she wasn't thinking the same thing.

Harry smirked. "What, no blackmail this time?" He ran his fingers through his messy hair sighing. "Get back at the reporter later. Right now, I'm worried as to how your lover boy is going to react. That picture made things between the two of you pretty obvious…"

Harry frowned at his friend. Hermione sighed. "It's new, Severus and I are still working out the semantics. I would have mentioned it to you and Ginny at dinner this week. And no, before you ask, it's not just the situation."

Harry put a brotherly arm around her. "You're a grown woman. I'm not going to tell you what to do or who to do it with…but I can't imagine your admirer taking this well. You've done your bit for the conference. There's no reason to stay for the last day anyway, you've always said they're a total waste of time…all of the important people skip out early. This year, you're going to be one of them. Let's get you home…"

Severus cleared his throat. "I apologize for threatening to hex you Potter. I snarled at you for failing to think your actions through often enough…" He shook his dark head, irritated with himself for allowing the photo to be taken, putting Hermione in danger.

He turned to_ his_ witch. "I'd rather you didn't go home until we are able to set up a new set of wards and charms….stay with me." He could have gone on about all the protective spells on his property, but she slid into his arms without any persuasion.

Harry clicked his tongue, but didn't say anything about Severus Snape holding Hermione Granger right in front of him. "I assume you have a fidellus charm on your home?"

Severus nodded. "Among other things."

"Good. Your lover boy is pretty good at getting into warded rooms, but he hasn't come anywhere near Grimmald Place…"

The look on Hermione's face reminded Harry strongly of Professor McGonagall. Her calm, measured tone sounded more like Snape. "And why _exactly_ would my stalker be anywhere near your pregnant wife, Harry?"

Despite his obvious distress at his own faux pas, Snape was fighting a laugh, damn the man.

Harry took a step back, out of habit. He'd known Hermione a very long time, after all….

"It was nothing Hermione. An empty threat. Ginny is fine. I got Molly, Fred, and George to come stay for a bit."

Severus saw Hermione relax visibly and he pulled her back to his side.

"Oh to be a fly on the wall if that idiot did try something with Molly there…." She laughed.

"Ginny's well able to take care of herself, but she's allowing me to keep her home and with family for the time being so I don't go out of my mind. She firmly nixed my idea to post Aurors…threatened to hex me…but she didn't say a word about bringing Molly and the twins."

Hermione's expression changed. "You should have told me Harry."

He shrugged. "This isn't your fault and I didn't want to worry you."

She huffed and pulled out the silver charm.

"Here. You know the spell to communicate. Severus and I have them too…"

He raised a brow. "I'm not sure how Ginny is going to feel about another woman giving me jewelry."

They laughed. "I'll make her one too…it would be nice to have once little Harry Jr. is born."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Not in this lifetime Hermione. And don't go putting that idea into Ginny's head. One Harry Potter in the world is enough."

Severus favored the two of them with a smirk. "Indeed. I'm not sure Minerva's nerves could take another seven years of Harry Potter."

Harry looked at his old teacher. "You don't think she'll still be headmistress when my son goes to Hogwarts?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "This is the wizarding world Potter. Minerva's barely middle aged. Unless she finally grows weary of dealing with underage brats I imagine she'll be headmistress when your grandchildren are at Hogwarts."

Harry let out a nervous laugh. "Let me get the one child here safely first before there is any discussion of grandchildren."

Harry assigned Shagbolt and Greengrass to escort the two of them to the hotel lobby.

Hermione knew Julian Shagbolt slightly, through his uncle, Kingsley. He was a bit too cheerful to be an Auror in her opinion. The boy made her feel old.

"Harry isn't taking any risks with you is he?"

Severus sighed and muttered something about 'dunderheads' under his breath but she tried to be polite.

"Harry's a good friend. I just hope he's keeping a close eye on Ginny. I can't believe that someone threatened a pregnant woman…"

Greengrass made a small choking sound. "Potter's wife is pregnant?"

Hermione cursed in her head. _Way to let the cat out of the bag Hermione._

"Yes. I guess he didn't make an announcement at work then…so if you wouldn't mind…forget I mentioned it."

Julian rolled his eyes and gave her a mocking bow. "As you wish oh proud and beauteous maiden fair."

Severus looked like he was going to brain the boy, but Hermione swatted him first.

He just grinned cheekily at her. "You know your stalker boy keeps referring to you as a maiden in all of those stupid notes he's been leaving for Potter…"

Hermione shook her head. "Maiden? Seriously? Someone's been reading the tales of Beedle the Bard a bit too often. I hope he's not expecting me to lead him to the Fountain of Fair Fortune."

Greengrass snorted. "Think he sees himself as Sir Luckless?"

Julian laughed. "As long as he's not taking notes from the 'Warlock's Hairy Heart…'"

Severus was not amused. He shared a look with Hermione. Neither of them wanted to get into the 'Tale of the Three Brothers' when speaking in the same breath about Harry Potter. There were a few things from the end of the war that had managed to stay secret, and it was best left that way.

"We're hardly dealing with bedtime stories here. How many of these letters from the stalker do you have?"

Julian shrugged. "Four? Five? Most of them are just notes ribbing Harry. It's like he knew after the first one that Hermione had refused to touch them."

Greengrass chimed in. "I think there are five…one with every heart since the kneezle."

Hermione shuddered. "Did we ever find out what the last heart was from?"

Greengrass looked at Julian, who shrugged. "I hadn't heard."

Severus put a possessive hand on the small of her back and quickened their pace slightly. He wanted to get her home.

There was very little that could make her day worse: an appearance by Philomena Douglas-Dean from Witch Weekly in the hotel lobby was on the short list.

Her smirk was visible from across the room due largely to her rather regrettable choice of lipstick…it was a bright aqua-marine blue and made her look very, very dead…like she'd been asphyxiated.

_Wearing that shade is just tempting fate, as badly as I want to strangle her… _

The witch stalked forward. Greengrass moved to put himself between her and the 'threat'. Severus took a handful of the back of Hermione's robes…

Hermione suppressed a snort. Severus understood which of the two witches in the room was more dangerous. Greengrass obviously didn't know her very well.

The reporter didn't hold herself like anyone who was accustomed to dueling…her fingers were wrapped around her quick quotes quill rather than anything that would keep Hermione from cursing her.

Something about the situation triggered the adrenaline, and she'd slipped back into dueling mode like an old, well worn glove. A part of her brain that assessed every person in the room. The reporter was soft, not a real threat. She could take her in one clean movement and move on.

It was one of those moments when the weight of her experience left Hermione a little breathless. She was a researcher. She didn't throw hexes and put herself in the line of fire anymore…hadn't for years….but it didn't matter. The fact that she had survived six years at Hogwarts, a year on the run from Voldemort, and the final battle of Hogwarts had left a mark on her.

Calm. There was nothing about the reporter that would trigger her unconscious battle reflexes. This wasn't that sort of situation.

She smiled slightly and reached back to take her lover's hand. He relaxed when he saw the look in her eyes. His thumb started tracing circles in her palm.

She took a deep breath. She needed to call off the auror too. "Don't worry Martin, I'm not going to hex the hack six ways to Sunday…at least not here, where everyone can see me."

Greengrass looked slightly shocked at her statement, but the reporter glared.

"Care to comment on the article? We'd love a response…"

The mature thing would be to leave it alone. The article had been a bunch of sensationalistic bunk.

Hermione gave her a brilliant, empty smile…the one she saved for Ministry officials she'd like to transfigure into tea pots.

"Sorry, I make it a point never to read utter tripe, so I won't be able to comment on any of your articles."

"Why you stupid cow…"

Three wands were aimed at the woman before she took her first step. Julian Shagbolt was the only one caught off guard, but he moved to the witch's side quickly.

The boy tried charm on the witch. Funny that Hermione hadn't even considered that route. Of course, she doubted that it would work without six and a half feet of muscular wizard to back up the charm. "I'm afraid that this is neither the time nor the place for this discussion Ms. Douglas-Dean…" He offered her his arm and indicated that they should walk away with a gesture.

The witch took in the young man's attractive appearance and went from shrew to seductive in three seconds flat. "Of course it isn't. Forgive me Auror…"

"Shagbolt ."

"Really?" Her smile warmed further and she drug the syllables of the single word out for an excruciatingly long time. Hermione felt a nearly uncontrollable urge to roll her eyes.

The young man led her out of the lobby.

Greengrass looked slightly ill. "If the two of you will continue with your planned route…I'd better go rescue the boy before that harpy gets her hooks in him."

Severus nodded. "Good luck. Make sure Potter knows about the reporter." He didn't wait for Martin to speak before he slid an arm around Hermione and they disappeared with a pop….

**AN: Sorry guys! I try to update early in the day, but it just didn't work out. I wasn't able to get anything done over the weekend…But look for Chapter Fourteen on Wednesday. **


	14. Chapter 14

_**AN: I was only able to cover about half of what I wanted to cover in this chapter…we'll have to see if that changes the projected total of 18 chapters…I did leave myself some wiggle room while planning this thing. **_

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Severus! Please…?" Hermione begging was not a sight he wanted to miss.

"On one condition witch…"

She looked at him, smiling.

"A kiss."

She chuckled as she pulled him down and proceeded to set his world on fire with the heat of her body next to his.

"Now, I think you owe me something." She was so smug.

He released the book he'd been withholding.

He was sitting on a couch that he'd largely ignored since the day he'd purchased it. It matched the chairs he wanted in his personal library. It made the room look less…empty. He'd spent too many years around Lucius and Narcissa to want his own personal domain to be anything less than aesthetically pleasing, no matter how little chance there was of anyone else seeing it. And so he'd bought the couch as well as the chairs and ottoman.

He was currently very pleased with the purchase, because _his _witch was curled up at _his_ side with a stack of _his_ books. It would have been impossible to tease that last kiss out of if they'd been sitting in separate wingback chairs.

He buried his sensitive nose in her hair, enjoying the fragrance.

"I never thought about using my library as a tool for seduction before."

Hermione smirked as she turned her page. "Clearly, you've been dating the wrong women if they didn't get excited at the sight of this room."

He kissed her neck lightly, nipping the delicate skin before applying a little more pressure…exactly the way she liked it.

"Don't be daft woman. I don't let just anyone near my library. You and my godson are the only other human beings I've allowed in it." He was rather focused on the texture of her skin under his tongue and he didn't notice her expression.

"Really?"

She sounded so _pleased_. He couldn't imagine why. He thought he'd made it clear that she was more than some passing fling…and he wasn't a man who often allowed himself more than a passing fling.

She marked her place in her book and put it carefully to the side. Then she crawled into his lap, straddling him. It seemed he was never far from a full erection these days, and this was no exception. He knew she'd love the library. She was Hermione Granger after all; she categorically loved all libraries. The shocking thing was that she allowed her lust for him to interrupt her reading.

She vanished their clothing, and leaned in for another kiss.

He let his tongue dart out to taste her skin again, but he stilled her when she reached for him.

"Just relax. We never seem to take things slow…I'm always so hungry for you…" And she was always so ready for him…he took the complement with no small amount of internal glee.

With one deft movement he penned the witch to his formally despised couch, extended it to the size of a bed, and laid his wand on the coffee table.

Her hair was spread out behind her in corkscrews, her lips were pink and moist, her pupils dilated. Her neck had a small love bite he'd given her this morning. He growled and licked the spot…slightly shocked at the amount of satisfaction it gave him to see her marked…that she had allowed that little mark of his love-making to remain on her skin.

He moved his mouth over her body, but they quickly reached the point where they were both too desperate to wait any longer.

He sighed in satisfaction as he slid into her. Perhaps, at some point in the distant future, the two of them would make love slowly, actively working toward arousal like every other coupling he'd ever been in. But for now, he supposed he should just enjoy the sensation of not having to work to get to the point of mindless pleasure. Still, there were so many areas of her body he'd barely touched…her lovely back for instance…he ran his pale fingers up her spine…but it wasn't the time.

He pulled her back on top of him, letting her set the pace. She was so tight that they sometimes had to work a bit to get his full length inside her, but they'd done enough work this morning and last night that he was able to slide into her. It was pure pleasure.

She screamed his name twice before he allowed himself a release.

"Merlin's beard woman…you are addictive." He kissed her again, with their bodies still merged, slipping his tongue inside the silken heat of her mouth.

"Hmmm…" She smiled sleepily at him. "We may have to stop doing this during the day…now all I want is to fall asleep with you on top of me."

"What, cold again witch?"

"No your body does an admirable job of keeping me warm. If you could just like this till….forever, I'd be perfectly content."

He ignored the way her teasing words made his heart beat erratically and kissed her neck. After careful consideration he moved to her lips. Eventually he picked up his wand and moved far enough away from her to cast a cleansing charm on both of them.

She summoned their clothing, and they dressed in a leisurely manner, with many kisses and caresses exchanged.

Hermione picked up her abandoned book and sighed. "It's so interesting, but none of the rituals covered in this require bits and pieces of magical animals." She put it in a growing stack…there were several in front of her. Severus had snickered when she told him her private names for the stacks.

"Oh, this one is 'useless and codswallop', and this one is called 'dry and boring but accurate' and the last pile is 'Hermione will be reading later."

He eyed the stacks and sighed. "I just wish you had a stack labeled 'Eliminates annoying stalker'".

She nodded. "I'll find something somewhere. I've only covered a few of your books in the last two days. If you like, why don't you take this…" She handed him an enormous binder. "And read up on the results of the Lineage Charm that I created. My staff and I charted half of the Wizards in the country. The results are scary enough that I don't recommend reading it before bedtime."

They were silent then. She made quick forays to his shelves and he made quick notes s read her research.

"Hermione?"

She looked up at him absently. "Yes."

"Are you certain these numbers are right?"

She blanched, guessing which numbers he was referring to. "I ran them, Susan Bones ran them to check my work…we took the spells back down to formula to make sure there weren't any errors."

"There aren't many of us left that aren't closely related, are there?"

She put down her book and shook her head. "No, there aren't. The people who have seen that matrix really didn't get what it means, but if you look at the next page…"

"We're dying."

She nodded. "The pureblood families are. It's only the fact that they tended to stray into muggle blood lines that's kept them going this long." She sighed. "If they keep to their current patterns, serious genetic deformities are going to start in the next three generations. We do not need another Easter Island."

Severus shivered. It was well known in the Wizarding world that Easter Island was a pure-blooded breeding experiment gone very, very wrong.

She flipped to another sheet of numbers. "You see, even adding the current batch of 'muggle-borns' won't help all that much without the families also using charms to discover the bloodlines. And I factored in witches and wizards from other countries…but some of the other wizarding populations are even worse off than we are as far as genetic diversity goes."

Severus covered her hand. She was becoming distraught.

"There's your obsession with wedding and bedding again. The obvious thing would be to simply add more muggle-blood to the equation."

She nodded and flipped a few pages in the binder. "Here's the numbers on that. It would work, but only if we managed to get sixty percent participation, and I can't see that happening…not short of the Ministry enacting some sort of ridiculous marriage law or other foolishness. Can you imagine the backlash?"

Severus grimaced. "From every corner."

"That's when I worked out the Magical Dominance Genes." She nodded to another diagram. "You see? The protein that allows us to convert magical energy for our own use is located on one set of chromosomes, that's the one that the Squib potion affects too…the genes that regulate magical talents are located on no less than twelve chromosomes…and the limited amount of research I've been able to do seems to indicate that that amount varies from one witch or wizard to another…"

It was nearly too much for him to take in.

"So…you are saying that a charm to 'turn on' the ability to conduct magic would be comparatively simple."

"If your comparative task is regulating magical talent, then I would have to say that yes…it would be comparatively simple."

"Do you think this research could be used by those who would wish to increase their own power?"

She shook her head.

"Even with magic, changing genetic makeup is a tricky, dangerous task. Doing it once in an egg or sperm cell would be hard enough. Imagine changing the billions upon billions of cells in a body…I hate to call anything impossible…but I would never attempt it."

"Ah…so attempting to unlock magical potential in adults with a potion would be very difficult."

She seemed to think about it. "I'm….not sure. I'm a competent potions maker…"

"More than merely competent, surely…"

She gave him a long look. "But I'm no Severus Snape either…on one hand, a charm would allow the children to slip into the magical world without a ripple…no taunts from the other children…"

Severus nodded. "But it would allow the magical population to simply ignore how close to extinction they are getting with their prejudices. A potion that could be administered at age eleven would give the child the option to turn their back on the lot of us if they so choose. And having the potion ready before announcing the threat would keep those idiots in the Ministry from doing anything stupid."

"There's no reason we can't research both…we aren't going to settle this question today or tomorrow."

He kissed her hand.

"Very true." He stood up and pulled her to him. "And on that note, I'd say that we should call a halt to the research for today."

"But…"

"No buts. This library will be here tomorrow. I can't have you wasting away while you're visiting me…Potter would have my head. And since you've been very physically active lately…."

She smiled like a cat that had been onto the cream. "Very. "

"Dinner then. And an early night tonight."

Her eyes danced. "And you call me insatiable."

_**AN: I know that my updates haven't been as often this week, but I hope to get that sorted out soon. We had a family member in the hospital this last weekend (no worries, she's fine!) and I didn't get to write. I will update on Friday. Thank you all for reading! **_


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: A nice long chapter in honor of it being Friday! **

**Chapter Fifteen: **

Severus found her in the library of course. He wondered how long she'd been awake.

"I woke up alone."

She looked up at him as he bent down to kiss her. "You looked too peaceful to wake. Tea?"

He took the cup. She brewed it as well as he did, and that was saying something. "I'd rather you woke me." Who knew how long she would allow this to go on? Eventually, he'd have to place wards on her home, and it would be 'safe' for her to go back. She wouldn't wake up in his arms every day. They still hadn't talked about the exact boundaries of their relationship…he had things just about the way he wanted them…her, by his side twenty-four hours a day, with only research to distract them from each other. The rest of the world could go hang. But was it what she wanted or was it forced on her by the circumstances? He was well aware of his tendency to smother anything he truly cared about.

Guilt, more than anything made him make the offer. "We should probably go to your house today and set up the wards….it might take a few days…"

It wouldn't take a few days. He was just stalling.

She looked up from her book.

"I'll be glad to get them up, but do you still want to conduct our research here every day? Or if you'd rather, I could just come and pick up the books I think I'll need. I know it's probably exhausting for you to have someone else hanging around all the time."

He laughed. "Oh yes witch. You do exhaust me. Yesterday you did it five or six times."

Her smile was rather smug. "I guess it's safe to say that I've moved up from insufferable know-it-all to insatiable know-it-all."

He wound a hand in her curls and pulled her lips to his. "How about we call you _my_ know-it-all and leave it at that?"

He kept her lips too busy for a response.

A proud looking owl joined them for breakfast. Severus looked at Hermione.

"He's not one I recognize."

She smiled. "He's Harry's. Most likely demanding I keep my dinner date with him and Ginny."

Severus tried not to feel left out, as she opened the letter.

"Bossy thing. Ginny says that we're expected for dinner tonight, and that she won't take no for an answer."

She handed him the letter, which included Ms. Potter's reminder that she could find them through Harry's contacts at the ministry, no matter how well his house was charmed.

"Should have made the house unplottable too…"

Hermione snorted. "I'm not sure that would stop Ginny…slow her down, yes, but it wouldn't stop her."

"Well, I suppose it won't harm me irreparably to spend an evening with the Potters." An evening without her was much less to his taste. "Let's begin the charms on your home this morning, return here for lunch, and go to the Potter's this evening."

She smiled. "That sounds like an excellent plan."

They owled Harry to let him know their plans for the day, and apparated to her home.

The cottage was small and sturdy with a short wall around it. In summer the garden was a riot of color, but by October there was nothing left but the evergreens.

"As you can see, I do have wards…fairly good ones."

Severus nodded as he did a spell to check the wards. "These are rather elegant my dear. Nice muggle-repelling charms too."

She nodded. "Well, it doesn't do to have them catch me outside with a cauldron when I'm brewing outside during the summer…or see the darn gnomes that I can't seem to get rid of, no matter how many times I de-gnome."

"Of course not. The Ministry would have your head if they did. I love the layered look of your spells. They look like normal wards on the outside and inside they're shields Dumbledore would have been content to use."

"Well, you know how it is. You can never be too sure that there isn't just one last nutter out there who thinks that if they kill you that it will somehow bring back the good old days of Death Eaters and pure-blood supremacy."

Snape snorted. "They're lucky they didn't find out what life would have really have been like under Voldemort. No one would have been safe from his madness."

He poked at her wards. They were well-made. There were a few spells he could add…traps to body-bind anyone who tried to bring down the wards…but really, once they set the fidellus charm, her home would be as safe as any in the world.

She took his arm. "Come on. I'll give you the tour and make you a cup of tea. You haven't seen my library." He laughed and allowed himself to be led away.

"It looks bigger on the inside."

They laughed, knowing that she'd used undetectable extension charms all over the cottage. What should architecturally be a single room cottage had three bedrooms , a dining room, a potions lab, and a huge library.

After a quick turn around the house, he approved her compact but very adequate potions lab, and they walked into the library as she summoned a tea tray.

She allowed him to browse her shelves for a few moments before sliding under his arm…the one that wasn't holding a book.

"How exactly did you get a copy of 'The Moste Magikal Art of Alchemy?"

She sighed. "The Ministry seized the belongings of a lot of 'death eaters' during and after the war. If they died with an heir the 'ministry approved' books and objects went back to the heirs…but if they didn't have an heir, or if their closest relatives were not witches or wizards…then the objects were sold and the heirs were presented with the funds. I went to the auctions and bought as many of the most valuable volumes as I could get, and offered the families the opportunity to buy them back for what I paid for them. Some of them were happy to let me keep the books, some of them were very grateful I'd saved a piece of their family history. Some of them were too bitter at the losses they suffered during the war to care either way."

She shrugged. "Along the way, I managed to put together a decent library."

He nodded. "Leans too much to foolish wand waving…"

She knocked her hip against his. "That it does. Minerva also gives me first choice when people donate their libraries to Hogwarts…if it's a duplicate she lets me buy it."

"Albus always gave the teachers that option too."

"I guess we know where you spent your salary."

He chuckled. "I would have been in debt to the school forever if I hadn't also made Potions on the side."

She pulled him to a chair (she didn't have a couch in her library, it wasn't as large as his) and served him a cup of tea.

"It's odd."

He took a sip of his tea. "What's odd?"

"We've known each other for years, I've slept at your home and your hotel room…and you've never been to my house. It seems like we should have covered this step sooner."

She looked confused. He leaned forward in his chair and brushed a curl away from her face.

"There are only so many hours in the day." He grinned at her, covering his unease at her apparent uncertainty. "It might seem like we jumped into this without a lot of thought. I think you know how deeply I care for you…we might have skipped a few steps, but I think we can work around that. It isn't like we've only just met." He kissed her fingers.

"And don't worry about the working together issue. In a few days the lawyers will finish the contracts for the business side of our arrangement. Draco will arrange a lab for your team, and you can work there or from your home…or if you'd like, you could work with me every day." He nuzzled her neck.

She pulled him closer. "Do you think the two of us would get any work done?"

He grinned. "I'm not sure, but I'd love to find out. After all, if we mess up we can always try again, and again, and again…"

They were ready for dinner with the Potters a bit early. He thought that Hermione looked scrumptious. She was wearing a little black dress that showed off her lovely legs, and heels that made him want to forget their dinner engagement and spend his evening kissing his way up their silky length.

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her cheek. "Are you sure we can't stay here…granted, with you in that dress, we might not get around to actually eating…'

She laughed and he pretended to sigh.

"Very well then witch, do what you will with me."

"We don't have to stay all that long." She ran her hands along the front of his robes, then turned around so he could help her with her cloak. He settled it on her shoulders and let his hands linger. Hard to remember how much raw power she had in her petite body, she seemed so fragile.

They apperated to Grimmald Place. It was still the headquarters of the order, but it was also Harry's home.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter met them at the door. "Hermione! Professor Snape." Much to his shock they were both enveloped in a tight hug by the redhead.

"Come in!" Ginny pulled them inside.

Severus was not used to such enthusiastic greetings…of course, he only came when there were other order members around, but he doubted that 'hugging Snape' had ever been on the girl's to do list before tonight.

Potter pulled Hermione in for a hug, but mercifully only offered Severus a handshake.

Ginny practically drug Hermione away from him, toward the kitchen.

Harry sighed. "I never give her enough details to satisfy her. They'll be half an hour at least before Hermione can escape. How are the wards on Hermione's house coming?"

"Her wards were already fairly good. It would take a very skilled wizard to get past them."

"That's what Greengrass said when I took him out after the first heart. Of course, back then we assumed it was some nutter who was upset with her research."

"I'd like to see those letters if I might."

"I'll have someone bring copies over tomorrow…wait, I forgot, you have a fidellus charm too. Better meet somewhere to get them, hmmm…?"

"Perhaps Hermione and I could meet you for lunch?"

Potter grinned at him. "You aren't letting her out of your sight are you?"

"Not if I can help it. She may get tired of my company if we don't find this person soon."

Harry didn't comment. He walked over to a decanter and raised a brow. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Thank you."

They settled back .

Harry looked pensive. "She's been alone a lot since the war."

Snape sensed that his best course was silence. The boy had something that he needed to get off his chest.

"When Ron died, she pulled away from the rest of us. I think seeing so many red heads had her always looking for him in the crowd. So she hid out in your rooms and nursed you…then she ran off to Australia for a year. When she came back, she was better in some ways, but she doesn't socialize. Do you realize you are the first…romantic interest she's ever brought to meet us?"

Potter was staring at him.

"I'm happy that she's happy. I'm just saying that this happened awfully fast. I need you to understand that she's…more vulnerable than she probably appears."

"Is this where you threaten to kill me if I hurt her Potter?"

Potter grinned at him. "Oh, that's a given. And I'm the head Auror so you know I could make it look like an accident."

Severus laughed and toasted the boy. Potter inclined his glass as well and they sat in silence for a moment as they both contemplated the firewhiskey in their glasses.

"I care for her." To his shock, it wasn't hard to admit it. Something about Harry's eyes, looking so much like his old friend's eyes…it made him easy to talk to.

"As you said, this happened rather quickly. I'm not certain what label Hermione wants to put on this…'romantic interest' works as well as anything could at the moment. I feel entirely too old to be called a 'boy friend'. All labels aside, I can tell you that I adore her, want to protect her, and enjoy her company more than anyone I have ever met…"

Holy Hades…he was in love with her.

He watched her during dinner, trying to decipher when his feeling had changed.

He had originally been protective of her as a child because she was a child, and because being Potter's friend put her in danger. He had worried more for her than most during those dark death eater days…during the times when muggle-borns were tortured simply for breathing.

He had wanted to kill Bellatrix Lestrange when he found out she tortured Hermione at Malfoy manor. But that was nothing new, he wanted to kill dear Bella on a daily basis. She was an evil bitch before she went mad, and being crazy hadn't improved her personality.

He had not expected to live through the final battle. He hadn't planned on living. From the moment Lily died, he'd planned to join her after his work was done. What was life without the ones you loved? But that Chit if a girl had robbed him of his martyrdom. She'd saved him. He'd been weak as a kitten for days afterward, while she nursed him tenderly. He'd been a pain, uneasy, ungrateful. Then she'd done something that had shown him he might still be needed.

A few nights after the battle, he'd woken to the sound of quiet sobs. She was there, in the moonlight, looking like she wanted nothing more than to throw herself out the window. She wouldn't have done it. It was a moment's weakness.

But he had called to her…pulled her away from the window. He had looked at her, worn and much too thin, and thought at that moment that she was beautiful…and beautiful she'd been to him. He'd tugged her small hand until she came closer to him, then he pulled her down.

She cried on his shirt. She cried for both of them. Two people who had no idea what life was supposed to be like now…who had survived when so many others did not, only to find a void at the end of road that had to be filled with…something.

That was the moment he saw her as a woman. The next few days he admired her as she cared for him (though he maintained his normal grumpy exterior, he had a reputation to maintain after all), but he watched her knowing she was not for him. The girl had followed Potter to hell and back. Surely he would marry her…their children would have the messiest hair in the history of the world. He would probably go mad if he had to be at Hogwarts to teach them.

But none of that had happened. She had left to find her parents and Potter had married the red head.

Looking back, it seemed almost if he'd spent the next few years waiting for her…though he knew he'd had nothing of the sort in mind. He was aware of her…and more pleased with her success than he should have been (he could put that down to the pride of an old teacher if he squinted hard and turned his head a little to the left)…he'd asked about her far more often than he should have…

No…this hadn't come on suddenly. This was a tsunami. It had been building for years under the surface, and it was going to wipe away everything in its path.

And Severus Snape found that he did not care.

She was curled next to Severus when she found the first real hint of what they were looking for.

"Look!"

He picked up the book and his face fell into hard lines. "I doubt this is the exact ritual, but it's the kind of magic…." He checked the title. 'Magik of Zaire: A poor traveler's Notes on Sympathetic Magic in the Congo'.

He remembered the book. It was written by Fenton Wormsley, an 18th century magical historian and expert bootlicker. His writing style involved more cringing than facts. And yet, this most worthless magical historian had witnessed something in his travels.

"_Upon reaching the magical enclave, I noted the presence of many dried animal heads, with stones painted to serve as eyes. I gingerly asked my guide about them and he assured me that they were powerful wards. I learned much of death and life magic in that village, including the practice of layering spells with blood magic…"_

Hermione quickly tore through the book, her face largely disgusted.

"No wonder we turned to wanded magic. The ingredients alone…"

He chuckled. "Potions ingredients aren't all that appetizing either."

"Point taken."

He stood up.

"We'll have to continue this when we return, we're supposed to meet Potter at Diagon Alley for lunch. But I think we are finally on the right track."

She nodded absently. She was still missing something.

The One Eyed Warlock was a favorite hang-out for Magical law enforcement of any flavor. (There were rumors that it had been named for the late 'Mad-Eye' Moody).

Hermione had eaten with Harry there often enough that she didn't have to consult the menu. Everything was fried within an inch of its life anyway.

Harry handed them the letters and proceeded to avoid the subject of the stalker, making for a very pleasant lunch environment.

"Molly's driving Ginny up the wall. She's just now four months along. I can't imagine how she's going to be at eight months."

Severus smirked. "You can't?"

Harry groaned. "Alright, yes I can. It's going to be brutal."

Hermione chuckled at her friend's discomfort. "It's going to be fine Harry. Is Molly still staying with Ginny during the day?"

He nodded. "She's been a trooper about it. I married up, there's no doubt about that."

A group of younger Aurors came into the pub. Rogers, Davis, Greengrass, and Shagbolt waved to them as they took their own booth. Julian Shagbolt came over immediately.

"Hermione, I wanted to tell you that the reporter for Witch Weekly…Philomena Douglas-Dean? You need to know that she doesn't like you."

Hermione laughed. "Yes, writing that I'd had an affair with my teacher while I was at Hogwarts indicated that there was some basis for that suspicion."

The young man blushed. "No…I took her out for drinks. I wanted to find out how she'd gotten the pictures without either of you seeing a flash."

Harry looked a little shocked.

"That was good work Julian."

The younger man beamed. "Well, she asked me out, so I just took the opportunity." He blushed a little. "It was exactly official Auror business but Martin agreed to come and sit in a corner in case something went wrong. Not like it would have, but, truthfully, I was glad to have someone there. It was hard to get away at the end of the night." The boy blushed. Hermione decided she probably owed him a nice Victoria Sponge or set of jams for putting up with that woman in hopes of helping her.

Shagbolt seemed to shake off his embarrassment. "She has a friend that got her the microcam on a trip to Japan. She um…demonstrated it to me." Hermione caught Greengrass listening in to the conversation. He was smirking into his drink. Oh dear. Julian might deserve more than a cake for his efforts. She wondered how far the boy had gone in the line of duty.

Severus brought her attention back to her own table. "It is good to have that little mystery solved." Good to know that he hadn't been_ that_ distracted…

Julian shook his head like an adolescent mastiff. "Yes, it isn't a matter for Aurors, though I'm not sure how it got past customs, but that's really a minor point. The thing is, four drinks in, she started talking about you Hermione."

He looked around in the most obvious way imaginable. Hermione sighed. The boy was not going to do well at undercover work. Maybe Harry could shunt him over to public relations, he had charm enough…

"Her father was Waldon Macnair. She's pretty bitter about how things turned out for her and her mother. After he died in Azkaban, the Ministry seized their assets. They had to live with some 'back woods' relatives somewhere in America…her words, not mine. I think she would do more than write nasty things about you given the chance."

Hermione frowned. "Why me?"

Julian shrugged. "She didn't say. I didn't push her."

Julian didn't wait around, but rejoined his table quickly.

"Well that's interesting." Severus raised a brow to Harry.

Harry nodded. "I may have the handwriting analyzed…and have the letters checked for spells that would disguise the handwriting. The letters are written in a neat hand, someone who is used to using a quill rather than a ballpoint…I would have thought they were written by a man…"

Hermione frowned fiercely. "Everything about this would indicate it was done by a man…"

"I'm not leaving any stone unturned just because it doesn't seem likely. Read through the letters and see if there's anything thing that catches your eye."

_**AN: I will try to get the next chapter up this weekend. **_


	16. Chapter 16

_**AN: I'm afraid I'm completely off schedule when it comes to this story. I had the worst time writing the letters from the stalker! At the moment, when I do the math, it looks like we'll have twenty chapters total, with a possible epilogue. **_

**Chapter Sixteen:**

Hermione threw the stack of letters down with a disgusted noise. "I've had dozens of letters that were more disturbing than these, if you discount the fact that these came with body parts."

Severus nodded as he picked up the notes. "Only the first one was really written to you. The rest of them are addressed to Potter. "Listen to this:

'_You will not keep the maiden fair Potter. She might have been yours once, but you married another woman, and now her heart can be claimed by anyone man enough to do it...''_

Severus growled. "His mindset is positively medieval."

Hermione shook her head. "It's like he has made up this tragic romance between me and Harry, and cast himself as the white knight who rescues me from…what? Being the other woman…or just being hopelessly in love with him?" She snorted at the thought.

Severus pulled her into his arms.

"You've been in the papers a lot…and there has been some speculation in some of the nastier gossip rags that the reason that you haven't moved on is not that that you are still in love with Weasley, but that you were secretly pining for Potter."

He couldn't hide the slight hint of question in his eyes, but she didn't catch it.

"Harry?" she shook her head, obviously perplexed. "Well, we already knew the man was psycho."

Severus raised a brow. "You don't think it could be the reporter?"

"No. I'm very sure the person who is stalking me is male, and stalkers don't normally work with anyone else, so I don't see how she could be involved with this."

She picked up the first letter again. There was something in the phrasing…

" _I have seen you in your tower maiden, pining, lonely, lost, but know that soon your heart will be freed to love as you were meant to; the fix that was cast is broken, though the caster will not see. 'Tis a gift, sweet morning star…that your heart will be free…_

_Do not fret these fearful things, for you are too pure to touch them, but know that they are sent for you, and I live in hope that soon your heart will be mine as my heart is yours."_

"It's almost as if they felt sorry for me…"

Severus nodded. "You get the poetry, Potter gets the threats."

She sighed as she put down the first letter.

"I'm going back to researching the hearts. I'm sure there are some clues here, but I can't understand…" She sighed in frustration.

Severus moved behind her and started rubbing her shoulders. "Mmmm…thank you."

He kissed her neck. "You are very welcome. I'm going owl Potter about completing the fidellus charm on your house…though I really would prefer you to stay here for the time being…it allows me to have my wicked way with you more often."

She chuckled. "You could stay at my home every now and then…I'd even let you in my library."

"Cheeky witch."

He should tell her that he loved her. He knew he should. In a way he had. But it didn't seem like the right time, with the letters from an obsessed stalker on the coffee table. She deserved something more romantic than sitting in his library when he said it the first time. He didn't want to say when they were making love either…not the first time… He pushed the question of 'when and how' to the back of his mind as he re-read the letters.

Hermione picked up the text that she had abandoned when they went to lunch as he went to his desk to write his note to Potter.

She eventually sighed and flipped to the bibliography. He watched as she perused his shelves. "Do you have anything by Zora Hurston?"

He thought back. "No, I don't think so. Why?"

"She did the forward on Wormsley's book, I thought I would give it a shot. I think I have something from her in my library. I'll look when we set the charm. How about Newbell Puckett, he was in the bibliography…"

He nodded. "He's in the folklore section…he was a squib, but he wrote for Muggles, so his books are of limited use for magical research."

She flipped through the book. "Oh, I see what you mean. I don't suppose you have anything on Hoodoo do you?"

He cracked a smile. "Nothing from anyone who actually practices it. Plenty of wizards and witches have tried to study it, but the real practitioners use a lot of mumbo-jumbo to cloak any real magic they're doing. Honestly…candles? Muggles will believe anything." He ran his fingers through his long black hair.

American Wizards in Louisiana had gone the direct opposite of the Statute of Secrecy. They'd taken magic and made a tourist trade. Declaring you were doing magic in that part of the world barely raised an eyebrow.

"I may ask Greengrass about it when I clean out my office this week. He said he had some relatives in that part of the country, and he feels like he owes me a favor since his mother was a squib before she started taking my potion."

"That reminds me. I need to send another owl to Draco and see how the lawyers are coming on getting the potion released in this country. The only Ministry that hasn't approved it besides our own is Uganda…that's just embarrassing."

"It would be good to see it used here at home."

"You deserve to see the fruits of your labors my dear."

A loud knock at the door startled both of them.

"That must be Potter. I sent him my address by owl so we could work on the fidellus."

"Thank you."

He kissed her.

Severus invited Potter into the garden (he meant it when he said he didn't invite just anyone into his library, and Potter looked like he could do with a cup of tea anyway.)

"I went to the reporter's flat. She wasn't there. Witch Weekly said that she hadn't checked in since the conference ended, and that her latest story is overdue."

Hermione took a long sip of tea. "Do you think something happened to her?"

Harry sighed. "That's one possibility. The other is that she wasn't too drunk to see that she had two Aurors in the room with her. If she was the stalker, she might have decided to cut her losses and leave. After all, a little bit of research showed that Shagbolt was right. Her real name is Philomena Macnair. She had several nasty stories about you written and ready in her flat, pictures…it looked like she might have been working on some sort of tell-all book."

"Lovely. Any dead animal carcasses that might indicate she's been butchering random magical creatures?"

"No, but she wouldn't have to do it at her flat. She didn't have a yard, and there were muggles living within eyesight of her home…the flying pig would have been a tad conspicuous…"

Hermione shook her head. "Even if her father was a death eater, I don't understand why she should dislike me in particular. I don't remember having any real contact with Macnair…granted I have no idea how many I hexed and cursed in the final battle…"

"Would it help if I told you that Rita Skeeter's half-sister was married to Waldon Macnair?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess if she spent much time with Auntie Rita, it might make her hate me. We were just talking about the notes. My stalker doesn't hate me…they seem to be very angry with you…"

Harry rolled his eyes. "There's fine line between love and hate Hermione. Obsession is dangerous. Speaking of that, you are wearing your necklace, right?"

She pulled it out of the front of her robes. "Of course. Did Ginny like yours?"

He snorted. "Actually, she really liked it. She wants to talk to you about the 'tweaks' you put on the spell sometime soon. I imagine every family member we have will be getting one for Christmas."

Hermione smirked. "We'd better work out a way to limit the conversations then."

Severus sighed. "As amusing as planning your Christmas list might be, we did agree to meet for a purpose. We need to cast the fidellus charm."

Harry nodded. "I'm willing, but it will have to wait. Ginny has a doctor's appointment in a few moments, which is the only reason I was able to get away from work during the middle of the day in the first place. I'll owl you tomorrow and we can meet at your house Hermione. It takes what, about two hours to set the spell correctly?"

Severus took a sip of the tea. "I can normally set a fidellus in about an hour and forty minutes, but I'm rather good at setting them…which is why I didn't volunteer to be her secret keeper myself."

Harry shrugged. "You'd need a bonder in any case."

Harry left a moment later and Hermione frowned at him.

"What is it Severus? Has the tea offended you in some way?"

He realized he'd been glaring at his tea cup.

He decided to be honest.

"I will miss you."

She sat on his lap and said carefully "We'll still see each other every day. I'm going to take you up on your offer to work here with you most days. I'll only go into the office labs once a week. Susan runs the lab anyway…normally I locked myself in the office to stay out of her way…she can just owl me reports."

He held her tight. "Well, I suppose if I get to see you at least ten hours a day…that will do for now. As long as you spend weekends here…"

"I think we should trade out weekends."

He sighed, and with the brilliance of a truly devious mind, he proceeded to kiss her silly, avoiding agreeing to anything.

**AN: I had hoped this chapter would be a bit longer, but expect Chapter Seventeen tomorrow to make amends! (The next chapter will have a lot more action! )**

**Susan is Susan Bones from the books…she showed up in one of the chapters after checking Hermione's math…apparently she works as Hermione's second in command at work(I didn't k now that until I wrote this chapter…sometimes my characters keep all sorts of things from me).**

**Zora Neale Hurston and Newbell Niles Puckett were writers who actually did research into Hoodoo. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen: **

_It was time. The maiden was well guarded, but the mind finds a way, when the heart holds the will. Three times three hearts, three times three weeks. Tonight was the full moon. Tonight, her heart would beat in his chest, and his would beat in hers…never parting, one forevermore. It was a binding, of hearts, minds, soul, and body. _

Hermione woke up in the circle of Severus' arms with her head buried in his chest. He held her so tightly in his sleep; she wondered that he didn't get muscle cramps. She ran her hand up his ribs and up his back, massaging the lean contours of his back with her fingertips. He pulled her even closer.

"Good morning."

She nuzzled his neck. "Good morning Severus."

He held her close for a moment and she sighed. "I have to get up for a moment."

He chuckled. "Did I have you penned?"

She kissed his cheek. "Just a bit."

She got up and went to the bathroom. Like everything in his house, it was sensible, but had a certain elegance in the economy of lines, and somehow managed to retain warmth despite the fact that at first glance, it was stark and plain. Severus was a man who appreciated texture and depth, even in something as common as a hand towel.

She had the impression that earlier in his life, the practicality of his taste would have been stark in reality. It was only since the end of the war that he had discovered a yearning for underlying comfort. There was also a chance that he had learned to appreciate having the power to make even the smallest decisions, and so it might not be surprising that his choice of linens was as meticulous as everything else in his life.

She washed her hands and splashed water on her face. She could hear him in the other bathroom. There were so many things they had yet to talk about. They'd spent most of their time since the conference researching…and shagging like teenagers. Her body was covered in little marks where he'd been a bit rough, but his body was marked as well.

Her toothbrush was beside his, and she started brushing her teeth thoughtfully. She knew him well enough to know that she wasn't a passing fancy of his. His teasing about 'never letting her go' aside, Severus was a very private person. He wouldn't have invited her into his home if he didn't like and trust her…but she wasn't sure what he wanted from their relationship _exactly_.

Come to that, she wasn't sure what _she_ wanted _exactly_…it was too soon for that…but she knew that she didn't want to have all of Severus Snape except his heart. And she was very much afraid that there was no woman alive who could touch that…

She looked into the mirror and knew that it would kill her inside to be with him if she could never really touch his heart. Even if he offered her everything else she'd ever dreamed of: his respect, his friendship, his skill as a lover, his brilliant mind…without his heart it would eventually leave her hollow and broken…because she knew that _her _heart was already involved…and had been since the battle of Hogwarts. The night she'd seen the man he really was…the night he had become the man that all other men were compared to, measured against...the man the rest of the world always fell a bit short of.

She splashed cold water on her face again. _Get a grip Hermione. This is still very new. You are a Gryffindor for goodness' sake! If you want his heart, have the courage to fight for it. Lily's a ghost…but even if that means that she'll always be perfect in his mind, it also means that she's not warm and with him. It means that she can't make him laugh, or challenge him with new ideas. This isn't hopeless. It's just a challenge. And it isn't like there isn't time. _

Later that morning, one of the ministry owls delivered a message from Harry.

"_Hermione, I have a case I have to look at before lunch, will discuss the details with you when we meet at noon."_

Severus leaned over her shoulder as he read the note. "Was that Potter's owl?"

She shook her head. "No, he must have sent one of the Ministry owls. He's meeting us at my house at noon."

Severus grumbled as he took his tea, but he didn't really say anything useful.

"I want to get there a bit early if you don't mind. I'd like to see if that book I was thinking of had anything of use in it."

"Of course my dear."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly. "Am I really your dear?"

He seemed to understand what she was asking. "You are precious to me."

She gave him a proper kiss. Eventually they came up for air. "You are rather dear to me yourself."

"I'm glad to hear that witch. You aren't planning to return home just yet are you? This isn't your way of saying goodbye?"

The light, teasing note in his voice didn't do much to cover the underlying vulnerability. She kissed him again, trying to say all the things that it was still too soon to say…to tell him how much she loved him.

"I think I can be persuaded to stay awhile longer."

He nipped her neck. "It's a good thing I'm so very persuasive then isn't it?"

They arrived at her home with a nearly-silent _crack_. She'd learned the value of quiet apperation the same way he had. Lord Voldemort had more influence on both of their lives than she really wished to think about. Even when you win a war, certain things stay with you.

She led him into the library, still holding his hand.

"Tea?"

"Perhaps later, after we complete the charm."

She gifted him with a happy smile as she walked to the shelves. She pulled out a book with a dark red binding, it looked like it had once been bound in red velvet, but the nap of the material was completely gone, and age had stained the original red in so many places that it was more the color of dried blood, a motley collection of dirty browns and near black.

Whatever had been written on the outside of the book was now gone, but the title on the fly leaf was promising: _ A Compendium of Sympathetic Rituals by Z. N. Hurston._

"_Wandless magic has been in use as long as there have been people with the potential of magic in their veins, and many of the oldest methods of focusing that magic involve invoking a sympathetic link. Even wanded spells often use elements of it….."_

She didn't get very far before she heard a tapping at the door.

Harry's face was relieved when she opened it, and he pulled her into a tight hug. She looked up at him, confused. "What's the matter?"

He ran his hand through his hair, making it even messier.

"Bad morning. I took the chance that you might have gotten here a bit early."

He didn't let her back away from his arms at first and she looked closer. "Really Harry…what's wrong?"

He realized what he was doing and let her move away. "I was just…worried about you, I guess. Is Snape here as well? I'd like to get the charm done as soon as we can."

Hermione felt a little relieved when Severus moved up behind her.

"Of course I'm here Potter. Did you expect me to leave her unprotected after all the trouble I've gone to?"

Harry shrugged. "Let's just do this, shall we?"

Severus eyed Potter thoughtfully. "Where have you been this morning?"

Harry let his breath out. "To a murder scene. The reporter is dead."

Hermione caught his hand and squeezed it lightly in sympathy.

"I'm sorry Harry. I know how you hate them. Don't you want a cup of tea before we start this?"

His voice was gruff as he looked at her hand on his robes. "No. I'd rather get it over with and know you are safe. We can go over the details later."

He nodded to Severus, who sighed and began the enchantments.

Harry kept her near him as Severus concentrated on the spell. There was a reason why the fidellius was so uncommon…it was desperately tricky to set. She and Harry had much less to do as the enchantment went forward.

Severus had his eyes closed. He'd been casting the spell for nearly half an hour. Harry grinned at her and pulled out a hip flask. She glared at him, totally shocked. "Harry James Potter! What on earth are you thinking?"

He chuckled. "I was thinking that I needed a good way to carry around the potion the healer at St. Mungo's gave me after this morning…and I was thinking that it would be fun to get a rise out of you 'Mione."

She sniffed. "Don't call me that Harry, you know I hate it." She took a good, long look at him. "Why would you need a potion?"

He shrugged. "I told you, it was a bad morning."

Harry was acting distinctly odd.

"Severus…"

The unmistakable feeling of being put in a full body bind curse was the next thing she felt.

She saw the wand in Harry's hand and for a moment she didn't understand. Then she saw him raise it and calmly aim at Severus' back.

She knew one thing for certain.

Whoever was aiming that wand, it was not Harry Potter...

Severus knew there was something off about Potter from the moment he came to the door, but a murder scene would account for it.

But even as he was casting the charm, he couldn't help but go over the morning in his mind. He was a possessive bastard, it was true. He knew it. But he'd been a spy for a very long time. He'd watched Harry Potter most of his adolescence.

And this morning Harry Potter had repeatedly made him jealous.

Perhaps there was truth to the rumors after all? Not on Hermione's side, he was certain that she was telling him the truth, at least as far as she knew it. But what if the attraction was solely on Harry's side? It shouldn't matter, except that Severus had the uncomfortable idea that perhaps Potter was content to have his friend remain just his friend as long as she was his alone. What if adding Severus to the picture made the boy-who-was-now-a-man-who-lived see how perfect his dear friend was? Severus was not a vain man…despite the stupid magazine's opinion, he would never have the friendly open face of the boy who had defeated Lord Voldemort, and he did not have the years of steady friendship, the shared childhood memories that would make it so easy to fall in love….

He would know.

But Potter had never seemed jealous before. Potter had never held her like he was holding on to her today.

He closed his eyes concentrating on both the spell and the body language…Hermione was speaking to the boy…calling him by all three names…

There was something…off…in his teasing. And Harry's eyes…they looked like Lily's eyes, but they lacked the essential kindness…

He moved quickly as the red light of a non-verbal stunner missed him by inches.

He fired a stunner back, but couldn't risk anything stronger when he didn't know where Hermione was. Two shots fired back at him, both bright green. Killing curses.

It gave the fake Potter time to disappear with Hermione at his side in a full body bind curse.

Severus nearly fell to the ground when the first wave of gut-wrenching nausea hit him.

Hermione was gone.

_**AN: I know, I know…pure evil. New chapter tomorrow!**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**AN: That last chapter was not planned. I was in the middle of writing a different type of scene entirely. It wasn't a bad scene. But somehow I wanted a little more physical action, at least one more twist before I revealed the stalker. So without further ado, I introduce…**_

**Chapter Eighteen: **

Apparating was always bad. Slide-along apparition was worse. Slide-along apparition while in a full body bind curse was a recipe for losing one's cookies if she'd ever encountered one.

Her body started vomiting as soon as they arrived where ever they were. The fake Harry quickly took the body bind off of her and held her as she lost her breakfast.

"It's alright, just let it pass…" He pushed her hair away from her face. It still sounded like Harry. That was the sick part, the part that kept her throwing up after she would have normally stopped. Those were Harry's hands…but this wasn't Harry.

She was still vomiting when her hands started going for her wand.

"Looking for this my sweet Hermione?" Her wand was in front of her briefly, but the imposter used his own wand to clean up her mess, and her.

"There now." He picked her up and re-cast the body bind. "Let me get you settled dear one, and then we'll have a little chat."

She should have touched the charm. Just a tiny bit of wandless magic and she would have brought Severus and the real Harry…at least she hoped so. She didn't see where Severus was before she'd been taken, and Harry…well, the imposter must have done something with Harry so that he could pretend to be Harry…she beat down the blind panic in her head, hoping that they were all right.

She caught glimpses of a garden path and crunchy stones beneath her captor's boots, a half-dead garden, and a heavy Tudor style home. The wind was whipping up and she smelled the sea and rain on the air.

The door opened and they walked into a hall, then some sort of study.

The fake Harry slid her on to the couch. His eyes were still bright green, but the lightning scar was beginning to fade. Fake Harry noticed that her eyes flicked to the scar.

"Is the polyjuice fading then? Good. I'd rather be out of Potter's body for this conversation." The fake Harry smiled down at her with a very soft expression on his face. She had the sudden urge to vomit again. "Don't worry dear one. All will be explained in time. I'll run and change…quite literally, and when I get back, we'll have that chat. We can't complete the ritual until the moon rises, and you'll be hungry once your stomach settles." He patted her hair…

"Be back in a moment."

Severus didn't waste any time calling Potter. He sent an extremely agitated patronus as soon as his doppelganger disappeared with Hermione.

Harry arrived in moments. "What happened?"

Severus tried to still the rage at seeing Potter. It wasn't Potter…he knew that.

"A Ministry owl arrived this morning with a note stating that you would meet us here near noon."

Harry's eyes widened. "I didn't send a note!"

Severus couldn't help himself. "I gathered that Potter."

Harry's mouth thinned. "Get to the part where you lost Hermione."

"We arrived two hours early. Shortly after we arrived someone who looked like you arrived. Polyjuice, obviously. They knew why we were here, and insisted that we set the fidellus charm quickly. They claimed to have been at a murder scene this morning, something about the missing reporter."

Harry shook his head. "I've been with the Minister all morning. Someone filed a bunch of complaints against my department. They were just real enough to warrant a meeting. We were all morning going over them."

"Wonderful. That means that her stalker was at the Ministry all along."

"Damn. Was she…all right when you saw her?"

Snape fumed. "Stupid question Potter. She was in a full body-bind curse and was doing a slide along apparition with an obsessed stalked…the bleeding charm around her neck that was meant to lead us to her in case of any emergency requires at least the use of her hands. Offhand I'd say she'd had better days."

"Hysterics won't do us much good _sir_."

His wand was suddenly out and aimed at Potter. The boy held his gaze.

Severus ran a hand through his hair and sank down to the ground.

He'd never gotten weak knees before. Not once, after all the times he'd stared death in the face, he'd never gotten weak in the knees. "I always know what to do Potter. I always had a plan, a back-up plan, and a failsafe."

Harry sat down on the ground beside him and pulled out his little silver trinket.

"Hermione is the brightest witch of the age Severus. It's not the first time she's been in a tight spot. It's not the tenth or the twentieth…"

"You aren't helping."

"The point is that she'll find a way to contact us. "

Severus nodded. "And we need to be ready when she does. Fine, go round up your aurors and see if you can figure out where someone might have acquired a bit of you for the potion. I'm going to look at Hermione's notes…she was quite pleased with her research this morning…seemed to have found something of interest."

Harry looked at him intently. "Do you think that will help?'

Severus shrugged. "It won't hurt and it might keep me from going mad. If I have to follow you around I'll Avada someone in the first half hour."

Potter glared at him. "Research it is then. If you find anything send a patronus."

Severus brushed off his robes. "I expect the same courtesy."

"Sir?"

"What?"

"We will get her back. Failure is not an option."

She was lying on a leather couch. The rugs were Persian, the paintings were antique. The walls were paneled in dark wood. She could hear a storm blowing in, and the sunlight faded from the room. The fireplace was empty.

The fake Harry came back in a set of ill fitting robes as the potion began to wear off. "There now. I'll remove the body bind if you'll agree not to do anything silly my dear. I'm sure you'd like some water…" Hermione couldn't do much but she decided to cooperate for the moment. Her captor seemed to either understand that, or assumed that she would do whatever the person with the wand said to do.

The body bind was removed and a hand was quickly aiding her into a sitting position. A glass of water was held to her lips. She didn't drink.

"Don't be silly. If I wanted to poison you there was ample time. I know you are thirsty dear, just sip the water." She took a mouthful and swirled it around the way Severus did. She couldn't taste anything unusual, and she didn't sense any magic, so she swallowed.

Fake Harry's hair was changing from black…she wasn't sure what shade it would be, but it was changing.

"Good girl. I know you've been mistreated, but you'll soon see you don't have to worry anymore. Not like Weasley. Not like Potter. And especially not like that damned Death Eater Snape." Eyes that were no longer quite green raked her neck and saw the marks Severus had made that morning. Lips that were a little fuller than Harry's thinned.

Her captor turned and absently flicked his wand to start a fire in the empty hearth.

When he turned around, she could almost tell…

"Greengrass?"

The auror looked at her with the most peaceful expression on his face. "Who else, my dear, sweet Hermione?"

_**AN: I know the identity of the stalker wasn't a surprise to anyone, but I do hope that I gave you a few moments where you did consider other options… I think I was a bit heavy handed in the beginning, and might have brought up Hoodoo a little too soon. Thanks for all the reviews! I deserve every single sigh and groan for what I put you guys through yesterday! Sorry! Next chapter should be up tomorrow…**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen: **

Waiting was hell. He'd waited before of course, but before he'd known that eventually he would have to act, and that his actions would matter. Now, he knew that eventually he would act, but he didn't know if he would be in time…

Not knowing what else to do, he picked up the book she'd left this morning. His heart was beating too fast…trying to break out of his chest. It hurt.

He tried to bring up whatever fragments of willpower he had left, to force his mind into some semblance of peace…

If he were at his home, he would simply destroy something. But these were her things, things she touched every day.

No. Mustn't think like that. Down that path lay madness. It was foolish and self-indulgent. Even if it did seem like fate enjoyed kicking him in the teeth.

He picked up the book, just to have something to do.

"_In these modern times sympathetic magic is rarely used for simple hexes, curses and wards. The final bastion of sympathetic magic lay in one of its oldest forms: love and lust spells._

_Some of the most accomplished practitioners of these are the Hoodoo doctors of Southern Louisiana. These complex spells, often known as tricks or fixes, vary wildly in form and function. While there has never been a spell or potion that could truly make another person fall in love, the muti-layered bindings and lust spells have an incredibly similar effect…some of the darkest spells require months of preparation…" _

Had she been under some sort of filthy lust spell? Something that was set for the stalker, that perhaps went awry? Was that why she'd fallen so prettily into his arms? It made a sick sort of sense. Worse, did her stalker know, and how would that affect his plans for Hermione?

He picked up the book. He would apparate to the Ministry. It was better than waiting. Hadn't Hermione mentioned that one of the puppies from the Auror's office had some sort of relative that was trained in hoodoo?

He had a sudden, sickening revelation. A part of him hoped, even as he hurried through the halls of the ministry to Potter's office, that he was dead wrong.

Harry slammed his fist down. "Then get a list of apparition in the whole damn country if you have to Rodgers…if we can trace them from point to point…" Rodgers rushed from the room, glad to be away from this extremely angry Harry Potter.

Julian Shagbolt put a hand on Harry's arm. "We will find her. It's just a matter of time."

Harry gave the other man a filthy look. "Is there any new information about the reporter?"

"Nothing. She hasn't attempted to leave the country, access her Gringotts account, or been to her home or work. According to her Aunt, Rita Skeeter, she didn't have any close friends at work, and she didn't have many interests outside of work. Her mother is dead…Skeeter is the only close family she has."

Harry nodded. "Fine…where is Davis…wasn't she supposed to trace Hermione's wand?'

Davis peered at him from behind a taller Auror. "She hasn't used her wand since the kidnapping."

"Brilliant! And where the hell is Greengrass, we're going to need an expert on wards when we do find her!"

Shagbolt tried to calm Harry down. "He came in for about half an hour this morning and went home sick. Right mess he made in the break room too…you'd think he'd been slipped something."

The dark, velvety voice of Severus Snape broke into the conversation. "Or took something." He tossed a brilliantly labeled package of Puking Pastilles from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes on the desk. Harry met Severus' eyes. "You think one of my Aurors…"

"It's the best lead we have at the moment Potter."

Harry nodded as he fingered the package. "Shagbolt, get me Greengrass' address."

Hermione just stared at Martin Greengrass for the first few moments.

"Why?"

Why her? Why did he send her hearts? And most of all why had he kidnapped her?

He smiled down at her.

"Because as long as I could remember, my father hurt my mother. Sometimes it was just words, sometimes he left marks…" He frowned at Hermione slightly, but he continued. "He hated her because she was a squib. He hated her because her parents had enough money to buy him for her. It's a quiet tradition in that part of the country…offer a dowry to any wizard that will take a squib…try to get magic back in the bloodline…and it worked!"

He looked down at his own wand.

"My mother was miserable, beaten, pathetic…oh I loved her always, but she was a pathetic excuse for a human being by the time she got the potion. Any life had been beaten out of her years before. And then…I heard about a trial of your potion in America…so I made a quick visit and picked it up for her."

His eyes were feverishly bright.

"She took the potion and within weeks she was doing more magic than some people ever do. It was like she was this whole other person. She smiled…I mean really smiled, with her whole face. I didn't even know she had that smile in her. It pissed my father off, but he couldn't do anything about it. What was he going to say? Stop being happy and magical? But it did piss him off. I bought her a wand and she was learning to use it, but he 'accidentally' snapped it. Twice. The second time she snapped and threw him into a wall. He cast a hex at her, poured himself a drink, and died of internal bleeding about half an hour later…"

Martin shrugged. "It was no loss. The best that can be said of him as a father was that he ignored me in favor of tormenting my mother. Even the family didn't ask questions when we said he'd died of an aneurism, no one liked him, almost no one came to the funeral. But my mother felt terribly guilty…she just sort of faded away in the months after…"

There were tears in his eyes, and he dashed them away.

"She made me promise though…you see, Hoodoo is handed down through the female line. Technically, our family line is done…unless I marry and soul bond to my wife, it's the only thing that will keep the grimoires from self-destructing…"

No.

"Why me?" Her voice was strangled.

He looked at her and she got the feeling he wasn't seeing her at all. "Because you are special…brilliant. Because your potion gave my mother the only real smile I'd ever seen on her face. Because I saw how Potter treated you…like a piece of furniture. _'Hermione could you… Hermione I need…'_. You obviously cared for him, but he didn't care enough about you to be with you…but he wouldn't let you go."

She took a deep breath. This wasn't about her and Harry, not really. This was about what he'd seen between his parents growing up. "Martin, Harry was never my boyfriend…we don't love each other that way. He's more like my brother."

"Women can be so dense. They don't even understand when they're being manipulated…even you, for all that you are so bright, you just can't see. Why do you think he hugged you all those times? He gave you just enough affection to keep you hanging on his every word…bet he was shocked when the lust spells kicked in."

Hermione took in a breath.

"What lust spells?"

Martin smirked. "Did you think the little fling with Snape was of your own free will?" He chuckled. "Admittedly, the reason I waited for the conference was because I wanted to reap the benefits of those spells myself…"

Hermione anger rush in. "What did you do?"

He pushed her curls away from her face and she flinched away. "I am sorry…I didn't intend to doom you to sleeping with a Death Eater. I just wanted you to be free of Potter. It started with the coffee…I'd been waiting most of the conference to slip something into your drink…"

He nattered on about his ways and means as she tried to control her face. The incident with the coffee was the after she'd made love to Severus. The lust spells might be egging things on a bit, but they were not responsible for her attraction to him.

She rubbed her temples with her fingers. She needed to get him out of the room so she could at least activate the charm. Should she ask to go to the bathroom?

He took her hands in his own.

"Love, I know this is a lot to take in…"

"Martin, we don't have a real relationship."

He rolled his eyes. "That's what the spells are for! What good is magic if it can't give you love. Once the finial spells are set, you and I will know everything that the other feels, we'll lust for each other, we will be able to read one another's minds…we literally will not be able to harm one another."

He was so sincere. She wondered briefly if she'd be as mad as he was if this spell went through.

"I don't feel well. I want to use the loo."

The look on his face was mildly disconcerted, as if he really didn't understand what her objection could be.

"It's through that door. You can't leave the house, the wards are up…don't worry so. I know you don't want to let Potter go, and you're probably ashamed of what happened with Snape, but I love you. You'll love me too…and after tonight, none of that will matter."

He kissed her hand and walked out of the room with her wand. "I'll just go and make us something to eat love."

The thought of eating anything, knowing that he'd already fed her one lust spell, made her feel sick again.

She rushed to the loo before he changed his mind, her hand went to the charm around her neck. Warmth flooded her hand as she felt it activate. They'd be able to find her now…she just hoped they could get through the wards before it was too late.

_**AN: I'll try to have the next chapter up tomorrow evening or Friday morning. This story has run quite a bit longer than I intended, but I'm still having too much fun with it to stop. There's nothing more fun to write than an irate Snape. Once again, thank you to everyone who has followed, fav'd, and (especially) to those who have reviewed! **_


	20. Chapter 20

_**AN: This is a really short chapter. And it's late. Sorry! **_

_**In response to a review: I do proofread before I put things out. Homophones are actively evil. **_

**Chapter Twenty**

Martin Greengrass had a small flat in a respectable neighborhood. The lawn was cut by a service. There were a dozen houses just like it on the same street. It reminded Harry a bit much of Privitt Drive. Once they managed to get inside the wards (fairly standard wards, the sort that any witch or wizard worth their wand could set) it was clear that though the house had all the accoutrements, neither Martin Greengrass nor anyone else lived there.

Davis stomped in, clearly uncomfortable. "No clothing in the closet, no toothpaste in the bathroom…"

"The kitchen has several varieties of drinks under stasis spells, there's not any sign of dishes or anything."

Harry sighed. "How the hell did this happen?"

Rodgers sighed. "We'd meet up at the pub, but he didn't invite anyone home Harry. I don't think anyone but Davis has seen my flat either…"

"It's the thought behind it that disturbs me." Severus was frowning. "How long has he been an auror? He's too young for it to be long."

"He's been an auror for the last year, he was with magical law enforcement a year before that. Signed up right out of Hogwarts." Harry ran his hand through his hair.

"Julian…what happened that night, when you went to get drinks with the reporter?"

Shagbolt looked uncomfortable.

"I walked her away from Potion Master Snape and Hermione, and she asked if I'd like to meet for drinks. I wanted to know how she'd gotten that photo for Witch Weekly so I agreed. Greengrass asked me if I wanted back up, and I accepted. We met up and she'd been drinking before I got there. I think she had in mind to use the connection to get more on the story, but I didn't tell her much. Eventually she seemed to get bored with the idea of the story and moved on to…other things…"

"She started talking about Hermione about the time I finished my third drink. She was on her fourth. I would have left except that she had a very firm grip on my thigh."

Severus broke in impatiently.

"Frankly, since you are here and seem to possess whatever faculties you started with, I'm not all that interested in the details of what came to pass between you and the reporter. Did you leave with Greengrass?"

Shagbolt nodded. "He managed to get me away, pretending that we had auror business. Once we were outside the pub, I went home. I assumed that Greengrass did as well."

Harry groaned. "Anyone would do the same Shagbolt…but looking at it in light of all this…"

Severus snapped. "You have a missing reporter and the last known person to see her was the auror who happens to be missing when my…when Hermione is missing."

Snape stalked out of the house and disappeared. Harry sighed. He'd be back.

"Does Greengrass have any family or friends?"

Shagbolt nodded. "Astoria's out of the country, but Daphne and her parents are related. I think Mr. Greengrass is his uncle."

Harry swore. "Snape would know that, wouldn't he? He was head of Slytherin after all, and Daphne was in my year at Hogwarts…"

Rodgers snorted. "Better them than us sir…I don't imagine it will be a pleasant visit."

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, almost exactly the way Severus had done for years in regard to messes that he'd gotten himself into. "Give him a few minutes while you look up the address…and take Davis with you…only arrest him if he's flinging Unforgivables left and right."

The aurors looked shocked. Harry Potter never played favorites. "The man saved us all, me more than most. The only woman he's allowed himself to really care for in the last thirty years, give or take, is missing. What would any of us do?"

The others ducked their heads.

"He's had enough of a head start…get the address."

Harry waited for the aurors to leave and sent a patronus to Ginny, just to make sure she was alright too. She sent her patronus right back. He understood exactly how Severus was feeling, even if Severus didn't want to admit it.

Draco was shocked to see his godfather.

"Severus…?"

He was even more shocked to see the look on his face. He looked like he was about to commit bloody murder.

"What's the matter?"

"That psycho stalker has taken Hermione."

Draco's normally calm façade crumbled. "The 'admirer' you were talking about? How? When?"

"This morning around eleven or so…the person in question appeared as Harry Potter using Polyjuice. We had an appointment with Potter for noon at any rate and we didn't think…"

Draco sighed. "Of course not. Who the hell was it?"

Severus paced. "I think it was Martin Greengrass."

Draco nodded. "You want to floo over to Daphne's and see if she knows anything."

Severus shrugged. "I actually was going to question Mr. Greengrass first."

Draco shrugged. "He drank himself to death a few months ago." He shrugged. "You never know what will set people off. His brother died maybe two months before he did."

"That would be Martin's father?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah."

"Is your floo connected to their estate? I seem to remember that it was unplotable."

Draco sighed. "I'm not that close with them honestly. They managed to stay neutral during the war, and the cut all ties with the Malfoys until recently."

"I am sorry Draco."

He shrugged. "I am sorry too. Perhaps Potter could…"

Severus choked back a laugh. "I imagine Potter is already is looking into it."

He almost didn't notice the little charm heating up.

"Hermione." He pulled the thing out of his robes but there was no message on the back, just a tugging that he could follow…

He stood up.

"No way. You are not going on whatever this is alone with Potter."

Severus looked at Draco. His expression was stubborn.

"Take me with you."

"Very well, if you are sure."

Draco summoned his cloak. "Let's go get your bride to be."

Draco wasn't surprised when Severus smacked the back of his head before they left.

_**AN: I suppose it's obvious now that we're going beyond twenty chapters….**_


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: Sorry for the long time between chapters. The next chapter required me to do some serious research, and I need the two to meld so this chapter was delayed a bit. (I also had a bit of real life show up and delay things, but that's another story.) **

**Also, I'm experimenting with some new page breaks…none of my original fonts or spacing show up when I post… **

**Chapter Twenty-One **

Hermione splashed water on her face and made sure the silver charm around her neck was covered by her robes. She knew Harry and Severus would be here as soon as they could. It didn't keep her from worrying. How long until the moon came out…how high did it need to be for Martin to seal the ritual? It was hard to tell with the rain outside. It wasn't dark yet, but it didn't look far off.

She glanced in the mirror. She looked ruddy awful. She rinsed her mouth again, wishing for her wand or a toothbrush…she nearly giggled. If she had her wand, she'd have better things to do than brush her teeth.

She was stalling. She wondered briefly how long it would take Greengrass to blow the door off its hinges if she simply locked herself inside….

She debated it for a full minute, but she decided that she would probably be in a better position if she didn't make him angry, especially when it was such a simple matter to blast the door with magic. Even after she made her decision, she didn't want to leave the bathroom…

Martin Greengrass was so very reasonable, so calm, so sincere. But she remembered her horror when she'd gone to her garden nine weeks ago and found a dripping, bloody heart nailed to the fence. She had a gut feeling that there was no magical reason why he had to send her the hearts…that removing and sending the hearts was something he needed to do…not because of magic, but because it fed something dark within him.

She heard him rap lightly at the door. She cleared her throat and called out. "One moment please."

She pulled back her shoulders and left the white-tiled bathroom with her head held high. She was a Gryffindor after all.

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Severus arrived within moments of Harry, along with Draco and what looked like the entire Auror department, half the department of mysteries, and a quarter of the LE office.

"Wards?"

Harry sighed. "Greengrass was the best ward cracker in the last seventy years…"

Severus nodded. "This is an old family estate, which means that some of these spells have been active for generations…the ones at Hogwarts are damn near sentient."

"Bloody Brilliant."

"Indeed."

Harry couldn't help but admire the cool detachment in Severus' voice. You'd never know that someone he cared for was just beyond those wards…unless you knew him well, then you might noticed his grip on his wand, the unholy light in his eyes…Harry shuddered.

"Rodgers, get to work on those wards."

Severus prowled around the edges of the work while Draco moved closer to Harry.

"Potter."

"Malfoy."

There wasn't any warmth in the exchange, but there was no heat in it either.

Malfoy looked bored, but Harry knew that 'bored' was the blonde's 'blank face'.

"He's going to kill him." Malfoy said it as if it didn't matter.

He was looking over the grounds that none of them could reach because of the wards.

"I hope she survives whatever is going on in there. If she does, he will, if only for her sake."

Harry tried not to think about it, and failed miserably. "She will."

Harry took a long sip of coffee from a cup that someone had brought at some point. "But if she doesn't…I won't keep him from killing Greengrass, unless I do it first."

Malfoy smirked. "I never heard you say that Potter. And if anyone asks, it was purely self defense."

Harry Potter grinned at the man he'd hated since he was eleven years old.

Malfoy shrugged. "If she's dead or mad, I don't care what the coroner says…he was like that when we found him. We'll have plenty of witnesses I assume?"

Harry nodded. He hoped, truly hoped, it didn't come down to that. But if it did…it was good to have Draco Malfoy on his side.

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Greengrass looked at her, the picture of concern.

"Hermione my love, you aren't eating."

Of course she wasn't eating. Only a madman would expect her to…

"I'm not feeling well."

He nodded. "Some of the soup might help you know…my bouillabaisse is rather good."

She took a deep breath. It smelled wonderful. That alone alerted her that some magic might be at work.

"Thank you, but no."

He watched her as he ate, his eyes intense.

"Potter is outside my wards."

He said it like he was bringing up the weather.

"He won't get in of course. Even I couldn't break these wards, at least not in time. We'll head out to finish the spell in about an hour. Are you sure I can't get you something to eat? As soon as the spell is set, we won't have much time…though I'm sure when we arrive…"

Hermione looked at him in alarm, her heart beating wildly. "We're going somewhere else?"

"Of course. I have an international portkey. It wasn't hard to get it set up using a fake name and a little polyjuice."

"Not when you work at the Ministry anyway."

He shrugged.

"It was very convenient."

She had a thought.

"Do you have the grimoires here?"

"Yes of course my dear. As soon as we've bonded you'll be able to unlock them and peruse them to your heart's delight. Until then, they are most regrettably, locked."

"Where did you get the spell you are using tonight?"

"Hoodoo isn't really about spells per se…it encourages innovation…which may be why there is no single school of magic for it. In any case, the foundation of the spell is a variety of very simple love, lust, and binding spells that are the Hoodoo equivalent to first or second year work at Hogwarts. The last spell is actually something a bit different. It's a combination of the principals of Hoodoo and a rather dark spell I found years ago. You needn't worry though…all will be well."

Funny, she didn't seem to feel any comfort at that statement.

She stood up, edging away from the table. Martin moved behind her, running his fingers over her waist and hips. She felt his lips on her neck as she tried to pull away.

"You'll let Snape kiss your neck…mark you, but not me?" There was a fine edge of anger under his words.

She turned to face him. "Martin, listen to me. You need to stop this. If you do, then we can get you some help…even find someone willing to soul bond with you I'm sure…"

He pulled her close and looked in her eyes. "Merlin's ghost. You fell in love with him." The light in his eyes turned manic. "Was one quick shag all it took? One little lust spell and you're holding hands with a death eater? It won't matter. After tonight, you won't ever love anyone but me, ever again."

He pointed his wand and put her back in the full body bind curse, then stomped out of the room like a petulant little boy. She fell over and bruised her ribs, but it could have been much worse.

With nothing else to do, she concentrated on trying to undo the body bind. She'd never heard of anyone doing it while actually in the body bind curse, but she would try.

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"Davis, I need an ETA on those wards."

The smallest Auror had taken over when Rogers passed out.

"They're tricky sir…they move around, they're filled with traps…I need at least another hour and that's if he doesn't have another layer under this batch. Tricky bastard."

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It wasn't long, perhaps fifteen minutes when Greengrass returned.

He looked down at her with undisguised admiration, a hit of softness, and a lot more lust than she was comfortable with. It was as if the previous conversation had never happened.

"The storm has passed. We need to get outside to get ready for the ritual."

He picked her up and cradled her to his chest. The body bind curse wouldn't let her hyperventilate, but the tenderness in his touch frightened her more than violence would. She'd been tortured before. This was totally different. Her skin broke out in gooseflesh. He noticed and wrapped a cloak around her like she was an infant.

"There now. Can't have you catching cold love." He kissed her temple. She wondered if there was anything left in her stomach to throw up.

He carried her out of the manor. She wondered, for the first time, why the spell had to be completed outdoors.

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Davis grabbed Harry's arm roughly. "Did you see that?"

"The shimmer inside the wards?"

"Good, glad I wasn't seeing things." She sniffed. "Do you think Rogers is any shape to help?" The other auror was still sitting on a low wall, wrapped in a blanket with his head listing slightly to one side.

Snape was suddenly there. "If you need assistance, I've done a bit of curse-breaking and I've worked with some powerful wards…as has Draco for that matter. The wards at Malfoy manor are some of the oldest and most complex in the world, outside of Hogwarts of course."

Davis nodded at her former head of house. "I'd be glad to have both of you working on this sir. As you can see…it's a bit of a tangled mess."

Draco ran his wand around in a complicated motion and whistled. "I've never seen anything in this…style before."

Davis took a deep breath. "Me either, but see here…" She wound her wand in spirals. "You see…the newer wards are the ones that move around, but they're tied to the older wards. I think we can sort of burrow under the newer wards."

Snape nearly smiled. "If we were still at Hogwarts Miss Davis, you would be receiving fifty house points for that."

Tracy Davis snorted. "Now I know you love her…sir."

Severus tried to glare at her, but he was too happy with having something to do.

"Right. Let's get to this."

**AN: I have most of the next chapter written and an entire evening free to devote to writing (How lucky can a girl get?). Expect Chapter Twenty-Two up tomorrow, and thank you for hanging in there. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Martin walked along the path, the crunchy sound of gravel the only noise. The air smelled like ocean and rain, and she could hear the waves pounding against the rocks nearby.

The trip was mostly uphill, into a strand of twisted, leafless trees, into what she finally saw was a graveyard.

He put her gently down on a stone bench, and cast a warming charm on the cloak around her. "I have to do all of the preparations by hand. It will take a few moments." He reached down and flipped the collar of the cloak up near her cheek to keep the wind off of her face.

He summoned a box from somewhere. She couldn't see much since she couldn't lift her head, but she heard the clanking of glass jars. She tried to calm herself, but there was something so terrifying about being in a full body bind curse. The wind whipped around her, catching the cloak, and she saw the moon come out.

Greengrass seemed to finish what he was doing. His face went from gentle sincerity to a cold mask as he walked out of her line of sight. She heard something heavy move. He levitated what looked like a filthy bundle of robes in front of him, but Hermione was sure she'd seen a glimpse of ragged hair.

_Oh no. Oh no. Severus! Harry! Hurry! _

She began to fight the body bind curse again. There had to be a way out of it.

Martin noticed something in her eyes.

He looked down at the bundle. "It's that cow of a reporter from Witch Weekly. I didn't want to use her really…I had intended to use Potter's wife…but the spell is very specific about the number of sacrifices. Since she's carrying a baby, she counts for two. I wanted to leave Potter with nothing after what he'd done to you all these years, but it won't matter. Maybe it's even better this way." He nudged the half-dead reporter with his toe. "This one is a waste of oxygen."

He didn't pull out his wand. He said something…it might have been in some archaic form of French…

Lines lit up the graveyard. They looked like strings; they glowed faintly…pale greens, sickly blues, a few mutinous-looking reds…but most of the strings were a nasty yellow. The lines crossed and cris-crossed the woman on the ground, throwing enough light to see that her eyes were glassy, but she was still alive.

His muttering took on another level of urgency and he changed to something else…it almost sounded like English, but it clearly wasn't.

Greengrass was suddenly in front of her.

He smiled. "I need an extra pair of hands for this part, and then we'll begin the main ritual. Don't worry sweet, everything will be over soon." He raised his wand and said "Impero!"

She was floating. She didn't like the way the man in front of her took her hand, but it barely disturbed the wonderful sense of peace. But she'd felt this somewhere before…she shouldn't be feeling like this now, should she?

The man busied himself on the ground while Hermione worked out the slightly puzzling feeling…the one that was increasing in volume, saying she did not need to feel this wonderful floating feeling at the moment…she just couldn't figure out why.

"Now Sweet, I need you to hand me these when I say so, alright?"

That wasn't hard. She knelt at the ground where he had been a moment ago. There were sharp, shiny objects laid out on a soft wool blanket. Even in the light from the strings they winked wickedly at her, bringing back that feeling of unease.

Her mind was becoming clearer.

She heard a whimper.

Martin smiled at her, but there was an edge to it…something was not right.

"Hand me the scalpel Hermione."

Her hand moved of its own volition and picked up the slender silver tool.

But wait…why did he need a scalpel? They certainly weren't anywhere where you should be using a tool like that. In fact…why was she here at all. She couldn't recall.

"Hermione, hand me the scalpel."

Again her hand moved without her permission. She was quite sure she didn't like _that!_

"Impero!"

She felt the floating sensation again, but this time she remembered that she didn't like it immediately. Her hand was moving to give him the blade, but that just made her angry.

She flipped it around and drove it into his thigh, causing blood to spurt up like some macabre fountain against those sickly looking lights.

They both watched the blood gush for a split second, and then Hermione jumped up and started to run.

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Severus muttered charms and counter curses under his breath as the sweat ran down his neck, despite the cool ocean air that had everyone else searching for heavy cloaks and hot beverages. Finally there was an almost audible snap as he cracked the top of one of the older wards.

"Davis, Malfoy, stop what you're doing and get over here."

They moved quickly to his side, as did Potter.

"We have an opening. We'll only have the one shot before the wards repair themselves so I'll need your help."

Davis ran a quick diagnostic with her wand. "I'm sorry sir, but even with the three of us…I don't think we can push through."

Severus smirked at the girl. "Were you in Slytherin or not girl?" She glared at him and Malfoy glared behind her. "You don't need to blow a hole in everything, despite the way most curse-breakers deal with wards…we don't need much. Just a lever and a place to stand."

They didn't get the reference, and he didn't have time to explain.

"Davis, you'll act as the fulcrum, Draco, I'll need to ask you to be the lever…I'll provide the force. Potter, we'll only have a few moments once we separate the wards to get in. Get you team ready."

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Hermione was down the path before she heard Greengrass behind her. He must have stopped long enough to heal his leg. As soon as she heard his footsteps crunching on the gravel behind her, she dodged off the path.

She must have taken a wrong turn because she found herself turning into another part of the graveyard. She slid on the rain-slick grass and fell, covering one arm with mud and little scrapes. She used a headstone to pull herself up, but he was on her before she could run again.

"Why are you running?!"

His hands wrapped around her arms as the rain began to fall lightly around them.

"Why are you fighting this? Don't you see? I'm going to give you everything. We will have the perfect life together. Once this spell is complete, nothing will be able to part us, we'll have the kind of love that poets will sing about for a thousand years."

He shook her with every word. She ached from the fall, and her teeth felt like they were rattling in her head. His fingers were bruising her arms.

Her voice sounded like steel when she finally answered. "You didn't give me a choice in this Greengrass. You can't make someone love you with magic."

He pulled her closer and snarled. "I can. You've just been looking at the wrong spells."

He kissed her then, forcing her mouth open until she gagged.

He was breathing heavy when he grabbed her hair, yanking. "We need to finish it."

He seemed to get some control of himself and let go of her hair. He hit her with the body-bind curse. "You are a troublesome thing, but I think your sprit is what I like best about you. I can't wait to see what you do to Potter once the spell is done. I want to see the look on his face when his best friend turns against him for the love of another man." He grinned down at her helpless body and kissed her again as her tears mixed with the chilly rain.

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Rain was falling. Potter had cast a quick Impervious charm. Severus ignored all of it.

"Everyone ready? Once we're inside the wards, Davis will need to continue working on the wards. Draco and I should be able to join you Potter, within moments of doing the spell."

Harry nodded. "Good. I want six teams of at least three searching the house, the rest of us will search the grounds. We saw a shimmer in the wards about fifteen minutes ago. I hope that it means that he's outside."

Harry paced for a second, making eye contact with everyone. He nodded at Snape, who let out the breath he'd been holding. Finally! How he hated working with others.

Draco cast the first spell, while Davis supported it. Severus cast a powerful charm that was meant to lift heavy objects, focusing on the end of Draco's spell. Draco and Tracy Davis stumbled, but neither faltered.

Severus could feel the wards lifting.

"Inside now! Get in!"

He rushed forward, as did Davis, Potter, and Draco. When he turned, the rest of the aurors and LE agents were on the other side of the wards, and half of them were knocked out.

"Bugger."

**AN: We'll have the next Chapter tomorrow. Thanks for reading! **


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: Remember boys and girls, it's rated M for a reason. **

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Greengrass was petting her hair as he carried her into the clearing. "I should have known better that to ask you to help with something so messy love. Forgive me, I wasn't thinking. No lady should have to assist in anything so repulsive." When he returned Hermione to the stone bench, he pulled the cloak up to cover her eyes.

"There now sweet. Don't worry. I will do what needs doing and we'll be able to finish this bloody business and leave."

The wind was picking up, so there was very little noise. Martin said something, there was a flair of light she could see through the cloak, and a muffled sound that was probably Philomena Macnair. Hermione couldn't sob, but tears ran down her face.

There was no change in the light, in the wind, or anything physically discernible, but Hermione could have sworn she felt it the moment that Philomena left her body.

She heard Greengrass do a quick cleansing spell.

"Come now Hermione. It's time."

He kissed her softly on the lips. Her body tried to throw up, but it just hurt as nothing but acid burned all the way up her throat.

Greengrass never noticed. He simply carried her over the dead body and into the web of colored strings of light.

He put her on the ground and removed the body bind, but kept his wand on her. "Kneel."

"No."

He sighed. "Love, we both have to kneel for this."

With a violence that belied his long-suffering tone, he reached out and wound his hand in the hair at the back of her neck. "Now get up."

She lost some hair fighting him, and he pulled her up anyway.

She felt the body bind hit again.

He knelt in front of her. She could see the slivery glint of the knives at his side.

She had to focus.

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"Bugger."

Severus looked at Davis with an amused expression.

"Exactly so. Get back to the wards Ms. Davis. It's hardly your fault that they were quicker than expected. In fact, if blame rests anywhere, it would have to be with me. Potter, we'll need to search the grounds."

Potter shook his head. "I just had an idea."

He tore the silver chain off his neck and placed it in his palm. Then he put his wand on top of it. "Point me."

The wand moved and pointed slightly northwest.

Draco looked at the wand with interest. "That's a handy spell."

"It normally just points north…Hermione discovered it, fourth year…I've used it a lot since then."

Severus started forward.

Harry turned to Tracy. "Davis, I want you with us. We'll work on the wards later." They could see quite clearly outside the wards. The people who were conscious were helping the others. "We'll leave them to it. Hopefully someone will manage to get past the wards eventually."

Severus felt a momentary pang. It felt odd for Potter to contradict him, but he was proud that the boy was willing to do so if he felt it was needed.

"Very well Potter, I assume you have a plan?"

Davis glared at him for speaking to Potter that way, but Harry didn't seem to mind.

"Of course I do…someone had to come up with all the plans while you spent your time beating your fan club off with a stick."

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

It all came down to focus and desire. Greengrass kneeling with her in a graveyard certainly provided the desire, but it made the focus harder.

His eyes were closed. This time he had his wand in his hand and he was muttering in what was clearly Latin.

_Right Hermione, ignore him…_

She focused instead on the spell that ended the body bind curse.

She wasn't sure how much time passed, but when she felt Martin reach for her, her fingers twitched. She didn't have a wand, but she could move.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Severus crept closer to the source of the light, Draco at his heel. Hopefully the light wouldn't be too bright, the boy's white-blond hair would show up.

He couldn't see Potter and Davis on the other side of the clearing, but he knew how fast the boy-who-couldn't-crack-a-decent-joke-to-save-his-life could move.

He couldn't see much in the dim light, but it was enough. Hermione was in the clearing with that little bastard, Greengrass. He had a nasty feeling that the dark lump to one side was the reporter.

He looked back at his godson, and Draco nodded to him.

The strings of light surrounding Greengrass and Hermione flared suddenly.

Severus didn't realize he was moving until he was already on his feet, wand in hand.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Martin finished his incantation and the sickly lights flared as he transferred his wand from his hand and picked up the scalpel.

"An exchange of hearts is all that's left to seal the spells, and the bond will be complete." He unbuttoned her shirt, exposing her chest on the left side and reached toward her with the scalpel in his hand.

She put everything she had left into a lunge for his wand. The cut meant for her chest grazed her scalp, the back of her neck, and cut deeply into her back.

He was shocked enough that she managed to knock his wand free. He slapped her, hard.

"Damn it woman!" She was stunned, her head cradled in the soft earth, ringing in her ears.

Martin stood up to find his wand, only to dodge a red stunner.

She heard Harry's voice, but it sounded a long way away.

"It's over Greengrass."

Martin Greengrass looked mad.

He muttered something and made a motion like he was gathering up all those glowing strands. Hermione tried to get up, but she was dizzy…

Martin cracked the magic around them like a whip. He was totally focused on Harry. Hermione was the only one who saw Severus creeping up behind.

The stunner that hit Greengrass in the back of the head was incredibly powerful…but it was only a stunner. Severus didn't even wait for the other man's body to drop before he was there beside her.

**AN: It's not quite done yet. I will try to post the next chapter tomorrow! **


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

She wasn't at home when she woke.

She felt fear well up in her until she saw Severus sitting in the chair beside his own bed. The moonlight peeked in and highlighted his pale skin and made his hair look like black silk. Even the pale light couldn't hide the shadows under his eyes or the weariness in his body as he dozed.

She tried to sit up and winced.

The slight rustle of the down comforter roused him of course.

"Lie down, you silly woman. That manic apparently tried to skin you alive."

She chuckled weakly. "No, he just wanted to exchange his heart for mine in some crazy Hoodoo ritual."

Severus put his face in his hands. "I doubt that would be possible…most likely you would have died and he would have said a no doubt heartfelt dirge before moving on to the next victim."

Hermione shuddered. "Thank goodness I'll never know."

"I did wonder…" He paused, clearly uncomfortable…

She looked at her dark haired lover. "What did you wonder?"

"I wondered many things, like how you managed a wound on your back when he was clearly aiming for your heart."

"Oh that. I suppose I dodged when I should have ducked. I got out of the body bind curse, and I had a choice…I could try to knock away the wand or the scalpel. I chose the wand of course."

He looked at her with admiration and something else in h is eyes. "Sensible, I suppose."

She reached for him and pulled back. Whatever healing potion he'd given her was working, but she could still feel the skin knitting itself together.

Severus moved to the bed. He ran his hands lightly over her arms and then, as if he could not stop himself, he wrapped himself around her, careful of her tender back.

He looked at her and then he closed his eyes. "I am so sorry Hermione."

She sighed. Silly man. "What, for not being omnipotent?"

"I should have known it wasn't Potter to begin with…"

"Did he not annoy the piss out of you as soon as he opened his mouth?"

Severus smirked. "Yes, but looking back, it was in a much different way than Potter does."

She stroked his cheek. "Thank you for saving me."

He buried his nose in her hair. He muttered something, but she couldn't make it out.

"What did you say love?"

His black eyes met hers with an intensity that left her breathless and tightened all sorts of things inside her.

"What? Did you call me love?"

She rolled her eyes. "What would you prefer? Knight in shining armor?"

He bit back a graceless snort. "We've had more than enough of that, thank you very much. I am no one's knight errant and you would scare the knickers off of any proper 'maiden fair'. Imagine! A proper maiden throwing off the Imperio and stabbing her assailant in the leg! "

Even in the moonlight she could tell he was proud of her.

"The reporter died?"

"Yes." He didn't give her details, she'd already had too many details tonight. Come to think of it, so had he.

"Potter eventually managed to wake Greengrass while we were waiting for the rest of the auror department to crack the wards…knowing that that bunch is the Ministry's finest does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling." He shook his head. "I put a sleeping spell on you while I healed the wounds, and eventually the dunderheads brought down the wards so we could get you a blood replenisher and some dittany."

He thought of Greengrass' face. "I should have killed him."

She held him tight. "I'm so glad you didn't."

"Why?"

"I wouldn't want to have to break you out of Azkaban. That would be rather tedious."

She was smirking at him.

He looked at her, his dark eyes unfathomable.

"I just hope all of this isn't a result of that little bastard's spells." He was staring off into the night.

Hermione sniffed. "It wasn't. He told me he didn't give me anything until that morning when we had brunch at the conference."

Severus felt his brows rise. "You mean the morning after I made love to you all night?"

She tried not to look smug and failed utterly. "That would be the one."

"But he did give you a lust potion."

She nodded. "I think I took two or three sips. Do you remember when we shagged against the door of the hotel room?"

He chuckled darkly, letting his breath tickle her neck. "I might recall something along those lines."

"The lust potion might have had something to do with neither of us noticing the reporter."

Severus shook his head. "My dear, I'm afraid that I'm not half the spy I once was. There is no reason why a lust spell you ingested would affect me."

She leaned into his body with a satisfied sigh.

"We might have to consider doing some research into lust spells and how the resulting pheromones influence members of the opposite sex. Just to make sure."

Severus looked at her with a thoughtful expression. "I don't think there will be any need for that my dear. I can't imagine wanting you more than I do right now."

With his mouth on hers, she couldn't help but agree.

**AN: Sorry for the short chapters recently. Real life keeps intruding on my precious writing time. I will have a nice Epilogue up in a few days. Thanks to everyone who has read this far! **


	25. Chapter 25

_**AN: I want to thank everyone for reading. This story has garnered so much positive attention (despite my frequent grammatical errors and the occasional evil homophone). I really took my time with the Epilogue; I wanted it to be just right. Oh and there's a bit of chocolate in there, just for heartmom for her wonderful support and inspiration (and her availability as a sounding board). This story is better for her comments and advice. **_

_**On another note, I'll have something sweet up soon…keep an eye out for it, ok? If you liked this chapter you'll love the little one-shot I'm working on. **_

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

_**One year later:**_

"Back already?"

Hermione rolled her eyes as Draco smirked at her.

"Back as scheduled. Really Draco, your Godfather and I are adults. We are completely capable of coming home from our honeymoon when we said we would."

Draco snickered and tried to look mournful. "I bet Potter we wouldn't see either of you for at least a month. Looks like I owe him and his red-head a night of babysitting." Hermione sighed. Draco never got tired of making references to the fact that she and Severus _had_ a sex life.

"I can't believe Harry and Ginny would let you keep James over-night."

"Me either. They know I'm just going to spoil him rotten and feed him cake for breakfast."

"You'll stop that the first time he throws up on you."

"Uncle Draco is the greatest, and fixing messes is what wands are for. I may see if I can pick up Teddy too and make it a boy's night."

She rolled her eyes, secretly pleased that he and Harry had mended their relationship. Being around Harry's family was good for Draco. He even brought his mother around occasionally. That relationship was still strained, but things were moving along.

She rifled through the stack of folders. The research was going well, but it looked like Severus had been correct...the potion was going to be the better option. They were nearly ready to take the research the next level and begin applying for patents.

She stood up. "If you have the weeklies I'll take them home with me."

Draco sighed. "I'm never going to see him again if you pick up his paperwork." He handed the slim files over.

"You might just have to drop in for dinner sometime soon. You know you're always welcome."

"And deal with the newlyweds making goo-goo eyes at each other? What kind of bachelor does that willingly?"

She smirked. "A happy, well-fed one?"

"Fine. Tell Severus to keep his hands to himself though."

"If I tell him that you know he'll just paw me at dinner and smack you on your head for impudence."

Draco laughed and waved as she walked out of the office.

She stuck her head back through the door. "Draco? Is Thursday alright for dinner?"

Draco smiled at the woman who had made his godfather happy. "Thursday is perfect. See both of you then."

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS 

She walked into their home, straight down to the potions lab. Severus was stirring with one hand as he made notes with the other. If it had been her, she'd have set the quill on fire.

"Do you need any help?"

His face lit up.

"You are awfully light on your feet Mrs. Snape. I didn't hear you come in."

He finished his note with a flourish and cast a lazy stasis spell on the cauldron.

Then he pulled her into a searing kiss. "As a matter of fact, wife of mine, I do need some help with a project …let me take you upstairs and we'll study anatomy until dinner."

She tossed her head back and laughed. "And I just tried to convince your godson that we don't go at it like a pair of kneezels in heat!"

He stopped her mouth with a kiss. She let him.

She pulled him up the stairs and into their bedroom. He followed, laughing.

He kissed her throat.

"I love you."

"I never get tired of hearing that Mr. Snape."

His tongue flicked the crease in her elbow (she didn't even know that was an erogenous zone before her husband had decided to spend an entire weekend 'tasting' her skin).

Her breath stilled as he kissed his way along the sensitive skin of her inner arm.

She leaned down and kissed his mouth, surprising him.

"Have I told you today how much I love you?'

He chuckled and his voice was like dark chocolate.

He pressed a kiss to the pulse point on her wrist.

"Today? Let's see. You told me you loved me when I surprised you in the shower this morning, when I passed the orange juice at breakfast, when you left for your meeting with Draco, and just now."

He ran his nose along her neck as she held his body close.

"I just want you to know."

He kissed her slowly, nipping at her plump bottom lip and taking his time devouring her mouth.

"I know. And I know why you need to make sure I know."

They'd both lived through a war, and the Greengrasss incident. They'd made it through the publicity from the trial. (The media had a terrible time trying to come up with a way to merge their names in true celebrity fashion…Snanger just wasn't cute enough to sell papers, and nobody liked Harpe). They had laughed at the various hate mail from their respective 'fan clubs'. He held her hand as she testified and offered up her memories for examination under oath. She, Molly, and Ginny had been relieved when Greengrass was sentenced to life. Severus had grumbled that it wasn't nearly enough. Draco and Harry had made snide comments about sending him various mail order hexes. Hermione was almost certain that Draco at least had backed up those conversations with a few anonymous owls. In fact, her husband might have sent a jinx or two through the mail as well.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHH

It had taken nearly a year before Severus proposed, but he didn't give her time to change her mind (not that she would have.) As soon as she said yes, they'd apparated to a beach where their closest friends and family were waiting. She'd never wanted a long engagement, but twenty-seven minutes had to be some sort of a record.

He'd allowed two hours for the reception, cake, and a first dance and then he'd whisked her away for a two-week honeymoon after the ceremony. After they made love for hours he looked at her almost shyly.

"_Did you mind…?"_

"_Mind what?"_

_He grinned, sensing that she really wasn't upset._

"_Well, Potter mentioned that most brides want to have something to do with planning the wedding..,"_

_Hermione snorted. "It was a lovely surprise and it proves that you know me. You'd never pull something that high-handed in our research; you always consult me on every little detail in the lab. I would have never imagined that you would have done this, but I thought it was romantic. You knew I'd marry you in a heartbeat. After all, you gave me the opportunity to leave once, and I didn't do it."_

_He'd kissed her until she was breathless._

"_I didn't want to wait to make you really, truly mine. We could always do it again if you wanted a big wedding."_

"_Not for all the gold In Gringotts. It was perfect." _

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

She kissed him again as he unbuttoned her blouse. No, her husband wasn't just anyone's cup of tea. He was high-handed, possessive, and intense. When they fought, neither yelled, but their words were often sharp. He loved her, gloried in her accomplishments as much as she did in his, and he liked nothing better than to spend an evening by the fire with a glass of wine, discussing their work, or history, or his latest potions project.

They finished undressing each other and he slid his fingers into her. The man had the nerve to smirk when his finger came back wet.

"I love that you always want me."

She cocked an eyebrow and traced his erection with a feathery touch that made it jump.

"Likewise husband of mine."

She guided him to her opening and sighed as he slid inside her…it was like coming home.

Of course, a short time later she was arching off the bed, nearly sobbing with the force of her orgasm. He came as she did, setting off another round of delicious pleasure inside her. There were times when he held off and they made love for hours, but he knew she loved it when they came together. She kissed his sweaty brow and he grinned back at her.

He held her for a bit, but she sat up when she felt herself dozing.

"I need to get up love."

"No."

"I'm hungry so I'd better cook something."

Severus gave her a dark look and reached for his wand without letting her out of his arms.

Within moments a box of chocolates came zooming into the room.

"I'll take you out for dinner later, for now…"

"You're a terrible influence."

"I'm totally committed to keeping you right here, in my arms."

He kissed the tip of her nose as she unwrapped the gold-foil box.

She took a small bite of the chocolate covered strawberry inside and offered him the next bite.

"These are good."

He sighed as he held her close. "I knew you liked them so I had them delivered."

She should have known. The man didn't leave the house except when he had to.

"That reminds me…Draco is coming to dinner Thursday."

Her husband pretended to groan but she knew he was pleased. Draco was really the only family he had.

He held her. "You make a wonderful bed-warmer."

She kissed him. "Are you purloining my person for your own uses again?"

"Only for the rest of my days."

"Oh, well, if that's all…"

He kissed her hair and smoothed the curls with his long, clever fingers.

He finally decided to ask. They talked about everything else like rational adults. They could discuss this as well.

"You know, in all the excitement of the last year, there are a few things we didn't get a chance to discuss before the wedding."

She smiled as she took another sweet strawberry into her mouth. It was distracting. But her honey-colored eyes encouraged him to go on.

He closed his eyes and buried his head in her hair, relishing the scent. "I love you, and I won't push, but I did wonder…how you feel about children."

If she hadn't been snuggled close to his chest she wouldn't have felt the increase in his heartbeat.

No, this wasn't something they had discussed.

"Do you want children Severus?"

"I love you. For myself, I never considered it. When I was younger I was afraid that I might replicate my home life, which no child should endure..."

She kissed his cheek softly.

He cleared his throat. "I want you, always. But if you would like children, I would love them as well."

He was never this stiff unless he was truly nervous, but she couldn't tell if it was because he desperately wanted children or if he was absolutely terrified of the idea.

She sighed. She would tell him the truth and see where it led.

"I would love to have your children Severus, if you feel ready for them, but I'd like to wait three months before I get off the potion so that we can finish up the latest research…"

"I wouldn't expect you to give up your work!"

She smiled at him. God, she loved this man.

"I'm not planning to, but I don't fancy writing patents amid fatigue and morning sickness. This project is important and I want to do everything in my power to finish off the project the right way. You know my temper is always short enough when dealing with the press without adding baby hormones to the mix."

Severus snorted. "Let Draco deal with the press."

"You don't want to wait three months?"

He bit her playfully.

"We will wait until you are ready my love." His voice rumbled in her ear, awaking all sorts of lovely feelings inside her.

"Three months is all the time I need. But I think we'll need to practice before I get off the potion…you know, just as a precautionary measure."

"Trial runs are an important step in any well-planned undertaking…"

"Hmmm…yes, and we both know that when it comes to trials, you are extremely diligent, and you never give them less than your undivided attention…"

"I do have a reputation to maintain."

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_**Twenty years later**__:_

She could smell the ocean through the double doors of the little bungalow. The moonlight caressed the ocean less than a hundred yards away from the master suite.

"Come back to bed love."

She turned and examined her husband of twenty years as he grinned at her from the bed. "Do I have to bribe you to come back to bed Mrs. Snape?"

She giggled and practically danced back into his arms. She snuggled into his bare chest and reached over to snag one of the chocolate covered strawberries that they hadn't gotten around to eating earlier in the evening.

Her husband watched as she nibbled the fruit with an intensity that would have once made her blush…and now made her purr.

"Happy anniversary."

He kissed her again, tasting of the wine they'd sipped at dinner. His mouth was even better than the chocolate.

The years had done nothing to decrease his appeal, at least in her mind. He was still long and lean, though somewhat less pale since they'd bought this little get a way five years ago. The silver that was finally appearing in his hair only made him sexier.

Without warning, he pinned her to the bed. "Your mind was wandering love. I can't have that. Right now it's just you and me."

"I was thinking about you ."

He kissed her neck, nipping the sensitive flesh as he chuckled.

"So you weren't thinking about Jeanette's OWLs, Percival's Quidditch match, or Eileen's first year at Hogwarts?"

She nuzzled his neck. "No. Nor was I thinking about patents, problems, or potions. Nothing but you and me and how perfect this moment is." He kissed her deeply.

He growled. "That's as it should be, my lovely witch. Because the only thing I was thinking about was how much I wanted to remove that little robe you are prancing about in…"

She laughed. Her face was beginning to show tiny lines because she spent so much time doing just this sort of thing…laughing and teasing with the love of her life, not to mention with their children, family, and friends.

She kissed him harder, and he responded, exactly as he always did, by kissing her breathless.

**AN: Thanks for reading! **


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